


A Vision of Shadows - Shattered Sky

by Dasharoodledoo



Series: Warriors— Vision of Shadows [3]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Book Series: A Vision of Shadows, RiverClan (Warriors), ShadowClan (Warriors), SkyClan (Warriors), StarClan (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors), WindClan (Warriors)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 37
Words: 114,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22806262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dasharoodledoo/pseuds/Dasharoodledoo
Summary: Firefern shivered. It felt as if someone was staring at her, burning holes into the back of her head. She turned, flinching when she saw a spirit behind her. Their dark ginger fur shimmered with stars. She could see the forest behind them.Then, they faded. Firefern glanced around, checking to see if the spirit had truly disappeared. Is StarClan still watching over us?------The third book in my AVoS rewriteMy tumblr (where I put some headcanons and stuff) is A-Vision-Of-Shadows-Rewrite
Series: Warriors— Vision of Shadows [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1087233
Comments: 96
Kudos: 61





	1. Allegiances

**Allegiances**

**ThunderClan**  
 **Leader** Bramblestar — dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
 **Deputy** Squirrelflight — dark ginger she-cat with green eyes and one white paw  
 **Medicine cat(s)** Leafpool — light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, white paws and chest  
Alderheart — dark ginger tom with amber eyes

 **Warriors** Berrynose — cream-colored tom with a stump for a tail  
  
Hazeltail — small gray-and-white she-cat

Mousewhisker — gray calico tom  
  
Cinderheart — gray tabby she-cat  
Apprentice, Leafpaw (a tortoiseshell she-cat with white splotches)  
  
Lionblaze — golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Jayflight — gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes  
  
Rosepetal — dark cream she-cat

Toadstep — black-and-white tom  
Apprentice, Honeypaw (a white she-cat with calico patches)  
  
Briarlight — dark brown she-cat, paralyzed in her hindquarters  
  
Blossomfall — tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with petal-shaped white patches  
  
Bumblestripe — very pale gray tom with black stripes  
  
Ivypool — silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes  
Apprentice, Twigpaw (gray she-cat with green eyes and folded ears)  
  
Dovewing — pale gray she-cat with odd eyes green and blue

Snowbush — white-and-ginger, fluffy tom  
  
Ambersky — pale cream she-cat  
  
Dewnose — gray-and-white tom

Lilyheart — Lilyheart — calico she-cat with amber eyes  
  
Stormcloud — gray tabby tom  
Apprentice, Larkpaw (a black-and-white tom with fluffy fur)  
  
Hollytuft — black she-cat  
  
Fernsong — yellow tabby she-cat  
  
Sorrelstripe — smoky-gray tabby she-cat  
  
Sparkstorm — orange tabby she-cat

 **Elders** Purdy — plump tabby former loner with a gray muzzle  
  
Graystripe — long-haired gray tom  
  
Millie — striped tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Brackenfur — golden-brown tabby tom  
  
Cloudtail — long-haired white she-cat with blue eyes  
  
Brightheart — white she-cat with ginger patches

Daisy — cream long-furred cat from the horseplace  
  
 **ShadowClan** **  
****(REFUGEES LIVING WITH THUNDERCLAN)**

 **Leader** Russetstar — dark ginger she-cat with green eyes  
 **Deputy** Rowanclaw — ginger tom  
 **Medicine cat** Puddleshine — a brown calico tom with blue eyes

 **Warriors** Tawnypelt — tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Pinenose — black she-cat

Goldenheart — golden tabby tom  
  
 **WindClan**

 **Leader** Mudstar — mottled dark brown tom with amber eyes  
 **Medicine cat(s)** Kestrelflight — mottled brownish-gray tom with white splotches like kestrel feathers  
Apprentice, Brindlepaw (a mottled brown tabby she-cat)

 **Warriors** Nightcloud — black she-cat  
Apprentice, Smokepaw (a dark gray she-cat)  
  
Gorsetail — very pale gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes  
  
Crowclaw — dark gray tom

Harespring — brown-and-white tom  
  
Leaftail — dark ginger tabby tom, amber eyes  
  
Breezepelt — black tom with amber eyes

Furzepelt — gray-and-white she-cat

Sedgewhisker — light brown tabby she-cat  
  
Flashheart — black tom with a white flash on his chest  
  
Oatclaw — pale brown tabby tom  
  
Featherpelt — gray tabby she-cat  
  
Hootwhisker — dark gray tom  
  
Heathertail — light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Ferntail — gray tabby she-cat

Larksoar — pale brown tabby she-cat

 **Elders** Onewhisker — brown tabby tom with a graying muzzle

Whitetail — small white she-cat  
  
 **RiverClan**

 **Leader** Mistystar — gray she-cat with blue eyes  
 **Deputy** Duskfur — brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes   
**Medicine cat(s)** Mothwing — dappled golden she-cat

Willowshine — gray tabby she-cat

 **Warriors** Mintfur — light gray tabby tom  
  
Minnowtail — dark gray-and-white she-cat  
Apprentice, Breezepaw (gray tabby and white she-cat)  
  
Petalfur — gray-and-white she-cat  
  
Curlfeather — pale brown she-cat  
  
Poollight — gray-and-white she-cat  
  
Heronwing — dark gray-and-black tom  
  
Shimmerpelt — silver she-cat  
Apprentice, Nightpaw (dark gray she-cat with blue eyes)  
  
Lizardtail — light brown tom  
  
Meadowpelt — gray-and-white she-cat  
  
Perchwing — gray-and-white she-cat  
  
Sneezecloud — gray-and-white tom  
Apprentice, Wavepaw (a gray-and-white cat)

Mallownose — light brown tabby tom

Ploverheart — gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentice, Cypresspaw (a gray-tabby-and-white she-cat)  
  
Brackenpelt — tortoiseshell she-cat  
  
Jayclaw — gray tom  
  
Owlnose — brown tabby tom

Icewing — white she-cat with blue eyes

Shadethroat — dark brown she-cat

Foxnose — russet tabby tom

 **Queens** Lakeheart — gray tabby she-cat (mother to Harekit, a brown tom, Dapplekit, a gray and white tom, Gorsekit, a white tom with gray ears, and Softkit, a dark gray she-cat)

 **Elders** Mosspelt — tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Reedwhisker — black tom  
  
 **Rogues** **  
****(DARKTAIL'S "KIN")**  
  
 **Leader** Darktail — a strong, muscular tom with white fur broken up by black spots around his eyes  
 **Nurse(s)** Slit — cream tabby cat with half a tail and a scar running over their eye

  
 **Warriors** (The "Kin") 

Pepper — black cat with white paws and tail-tip

Rain — long-furred gray she-cat with one green eye  
  
Raven — long-furred black she-cat  
  
Roach — silver-gray cat

Flame — dark ginger she-cat with a white belly

Sap — ginger tabby with a white nose

Thistle — muscular gray she-cat

Ember — light brown bengal tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes

Maxie — black-and-white she-cat with odd, curly fur  
  
Needletail — silver she-cat with a pointed tail  
  
Sleekwhisker — sleek tortoiseshell she-cat  
  
Juniperfang — black tom  
  
Spikefur — dark yellowish tabby tom with tufty fur on his head  
  
Yarrowleaf — ginger she-cat with yellow eyes

Beenose — plump white she-cat with black ears  
Apprentice, Snakepaw (a tabico she-cat with long fangs)

Snowbird — sleek, pure white she-cat with green eyes

Grassheart — pale brown tabby she-cat

Wasptail — yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes  
  
Berryheart — mainly black-and-white calico she-cat  
  
Cloverfoot — gray torbie she-cat

Strikestone — black tom with a white chest and stomach  
  
Rippletail — white tom  
  
Sparrowtail — large silver tom  
Apprentice, Whorlpaw (a pale brown-and-white tabby tom with swirled stripes)  
  
Mistcloud — spiky-furred, pale gray she-cat  
Apprentice, Flowerpaw (a torbie she-cat with a bright pink nose)  
  
Birchbark — beige tom  
  
Lioneye — yellow she-cat with amber eyes  
  
Slateclaw — sleek gray tom  
  
Violetpaw — black-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes

Juniper — a black bengal tabby with a yellowish chest and stomach

Cherry — a light brown bengal tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Birch — brown bengal tabby tom with yellow eyes

 **Queens** Dawnpelt — dilute tortoiseshell she-cat (mother to Skunkkit, a tortoiseshell she-cat with white markings, Magpiekit, a black-and-white tom with blue eyes, and Stalkkit, a gray tabby she-cat with long whiskers)

 **Elders** Ratscar — scarred, skinny dark brown tom

Shade — ragged, brown tabby she-cat with black stripes

 **SkyClan**  
 **Leader** Leafstar — brown-and-cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
 **Deputy** Firefern — ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes  
 **Warriors** Fallowfern — pale brown she-cat

Blackfire — black-and-white tom  
Apprentice, Dewpaw (sturdy dilute tortoiseshell tom)

Plumwillow — dark gray she-cat

Honeytail — pale ginger she-cat with long fur  
Apprentice, Reedpaw (small ginger tabby she-cat)

Rabbitleap — brown tabby tom with green eyes

Solbrook — brown-and-cream tabby tom with amber green eyes  
Apprentice, Finpaw (pale ginger tom with a darker tabby ginger face, nose, tail, and paws and green eyes)

Stormheart — cream tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Hawkwing —dark gray tom with yellow eyes

Bloomwhisker — calico she-cat with dark green eyes  
Apprentice, Twinepaw (ginger-and-white tabby tom with curly fur)  
  
Sandynose — stocky, pale ginger tom with a darker tabby ginger face, nose, tail, and paws

Bellaleaf — pale orange-and-white tabby she-cat with green eyes


	2. Prologue

Golden light bathed the clearing as warriors pressed around Echosong. Firefern sat beside her mother, her head bowed as she watched Echosong take deep, rasping breaths. The gash that trailed from her flank down to her lower leg oozed with puss: it was infected. Firefern shuddered, squirming in her pelt, as if ants were crawling in her fur.  _ It must be painful, _ she thought, tearing her eyes away from the medicine cat’s wound.

Stormheart leaned over Echosong, dragging her tongue across the medicine cat’s back. “Oh mom,” the she-cat murmured, in an uncharacteristically caring tone. She pressed her nose against Echosong’s fur, her eyes glassy. “Is there anything we can do to help you?”

Echosong looked at the warrior, her eyes shining with care, masking the pain. “I could use dandelion or borage,” she rasped, weak from the pain in her leg. “But I don’t know where that would grow in this unfamiliar territory. I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do.”

Firefern looked at Leafstar, whose eyes were brimming with tears. The ginger-and-white she-cat wrapped her tail around her mother. Echosong was her mate, her best friend. Now she was leaving, just like Billystorm.  _ Mother is still grieving over father, _ Firefern told StarClan, not even sure if they could hear her.  _ Why are you taking away Echosong as well? _

Echosong was always there for Stormheart, Firefern, and Solbrook. She was their second mother, after all, caring for them when they got scratches or thorns in their pads, and grooming them until they fell asleep in her fluffy silver tail. Now, she was leaving them, after moons of being lost to SkyClan.

Leafstar lowered her head, squeezing her eyes shut. Firefern licked her mother’s shoulder. It pained her to see her leader this way.

Echosong’s eyes closed and Solbrook bent over her to help his sister groom her. “I wish I could protect you all,” the medicine cat murmured. Her voice was shaking with guilt. Sadness pricked at Firefern’s heart. “We’re so far from the gorge . . . and we haven’t been able to find the home that StarClan wishes for us. The maple tree . . .” Firefern blinked in confusion, but didn’t say anything.

Echosong’s eyes brightened and she looked right between Firefern and Leafstar. “Frecklewish!” she sang, laying her head on the moss. “You’ve found us at last! I've missed you dearly, my small apprentice.”

Bloomwhisker looked around in confusion. “We haven’t found Frecklewish yet,” she told the medicine cat gently.

“But she’s right there,” Echosong sighed, her eyes clouding.

_ She must be delirious, _ Firefern told herself. Then her heart started aching. Was Frecklewish dead? Was she here to bring Echosong to StarClan? She whipped her head around, looking for the slightest glimpse of a StarClan cat. But no one was there except the SkyClan warriors.

Stormheart and Solbrook shared sad glances before continuing to groom their mother. Firefern and Leafstar joined them. “I'll miss you,” Firefern whispered to the medicine cat, though she wasn’t sure Echosong even heard her. “We’ll all miss you.”

The Clan murmured in agreement, lowering their heads. Helplessness filled Firefern. As SkyClan’s deputy, shouldn’t she be able to help and protect her Clan? Is there no way she could help Echosong, and the other warriors who were lost to them?  _ Am I really the right choice? _

Then, Echosong let out a loud gasp. She dragged herself to her paws, her eyes wide and sparkling, as though stars were trapped inside. “Echo,” Leafstar murmured, trying to make her lie down again, “you shouldn’t make any sudden movements—”

Echosong cut her off, staring at the sky. “They’re coming . . .” She pushed Leafstar away, trying to get to her paws. “You must look for the blood trail in the sky! Follow the blood trail!”

Firefern stiffened when she collapsed, unnerved. What could that mean? How could there be a trail of blood in the  _ sky _ ?

“Echosong!” Leafstar cried, her eyes wide.

Firefern shivered. It felt as if someone was staring at her, burning holes into the back of her head. She turned, flinching when she saw a spirit behind her. Their dark ginger fur shimmered with stars. She could see the forest behind them.

Then, they faded. Firefern glanced around, checking to see if the spirit had truly disappeared.  _ Is StarClan still watching over us? _


	3. Chapter One

Cats of all four Clans were massed as one on the ShadowClan border. All around her, Twigpaw could hear a faint rustling, as their paws shifted in the grass, and taste their mingled scents.

It had been three moons since Alderheart came home with his medicine cat name. Since then, Russetstar, Mistystar, Mudstar, and Bramblestar had been planning an attack on the ShadowClan rogues. Twigpaw remembered the camp being packed with other Clans’ leaders and their deputies, medicine cats, and a few senior warriors. Sometimes, Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Alderheart, and their trusted warriors left to another Clan to speak about battle plans. Twigpaw’s heart swelled when she remembered Lilyheart and Snowbush, her foster parents, being two of the few warriors Bramblestar and Squirrelflight trusted most, along with her mentor, Ivypool.

Now, packed together in the greenleaf sun, sat every warrior WindClan, ThunderClan and RiverClan trusted enough to bring. “So many warriors!” she whispered. “All four, together . . .”

The cats of ThunderClan were clustered around Twigpaw, their gleaming eyes and bristling fur showing that they were ready for battle. Twigpaw let her gaze travel over them: Bramblestar and his deputy, Squirrelflight beside him; Lionblaze, his muscles rippling under his golden tabby pelt, next to Jayflight and Cinderheart; Leafpaw, Honeypaw, and Larkpaw were standing together with Honeypaw and Larkpaw’s mentors, Toadstep and Stormcloud, near them, chatting away excitedly about how they might be getting their warrior names after the battle; Rosepetal stood beside her brother, along with Ivypool and Dovewing; the last couple warriors, Snowbush, Lilyheart, Hollytuft, Sorrelstripe, and Sparkstorm, were out of Twigpaw’s field of vision, but she caught Sparkstorm’s bright ginger pelt not far away.

Meanwhile, RiverClan and WindClan warriors were in their own groups. Mudstar, who still hadn’t chosen a deputy after the death of Ashfoot, who died of the dreadful blackcough, stood beside Crowclaw and Sedgewhisker, whose eyes were dark. Crowclaw was still grieving the loss of his mother, missing the last few Gatherings. Near them were a few warriors Twigpaw couldn’t recognize, then Smokepaw, and Ferntail and Larksoar, who had recently gotten their warrior names. Heathertail sat beside Nightcloud, whispering to one another. Twigpaw couldn’t even see the RiverClan cats, but she knew that Mistystar was standing tall next to Duskfur, her new deputy after Primrosefoot passed away, ready for battle.

Twigpaw pressed close to Ivypool’s side, nervously sheathing and unsheathing her claws. The dawn light was growing stronger, but the shadows still lurked under the trees making the ShadowClan territory ahead look even darker and creepier than usual.

Ivypool dipped her head to speak softly into Twigpaw’s ear. “After the Great Storm, Bramblestar proposed a new addition to the warrior code.” Her eyes shone with pride at her Clan leader. “He said that though the Clans must all remember their separate histories and traditions, in times of dire need all Clans shoulder stand together so that no Clan should ever fall. And if this isn’t a time of dire need,” she added wryly, “I don’t know what is.”

“Do you really think we can drive the rogues out of ShadowClan territory?” Twigpaw asked. She tried to stop her voice from shaking, even though her mouth was dry and her heart pounded so hard that she thought every cat must be able to hear it.

Ivypool brushed her tail reassuringly over Twigpaw’s shoulders. “Everyone’s first battle is tough,” she meowed. Her silver-and-white pelt was as neat as if she had just groomed it, and her voice was full of confidence. “But stick close to me, and I’ll look after you.”

Relief flooded through Twigpaw, and she blinked gratefully at her mentor.  _ I’m so happy to be Ivypool’s apprentice, _ she thought.  _ She always has my back. _

“Cats of all clans.” Bramblestar’s voice rang out across the assembled cats. “The time has come to take the rogues by surprise and force them out of ShadowClan territory.”

“Yes,” Russetstar agreed. The ShadowClan’s leader was a little shaky, but invited no argument. She stood at the front of the crowd, her ginger fur now groomed and glowing as the light strengthened. Her deputy, Rowanclaw, had positioned himself closer to her, with Tawnypelt by his side. Not far behind them stood their kit, Goldenheart, and Russetstar’s kits, Pinenose and Ferretclaw. “We must get rid of these rogues once and for all. The future of the Clans depends on it.” Still, she sounded almost uncertain and frightened.

Mudstar glared at Russetstar and gave an irritated lash of his tail. “That’s an interesting order,” he meowed, “coming from the cat who allowed the rogues to live on her territory for moons, until finally most of her Clan decided they would rather follow Darktail! Maybe, Russetstar,” he added, “you could stop issuing orders to the cats who are cleaning up  _ your _ mess.”

Russetstar stared at the WindClan leader, her gaze icy. It was Rowanclaw who spoke up. “And just maybe,” the deputy retorted bitterly, “WindClan cats could mind their own business.”

“You made it our business!” Mudstar snapped.

“Enough!” Mistystar thrust her way between the two furious leaders, holding herself with authority. “What hope do we have if we fight among ourselves? Russetstar is right about one thing: the rogues must be driven out. They killed Emberfoot, they enticed ShadowClan warriors away from their Clan, and now they’ve stolen ShadowClan’s territory. It’s time to get rid of these fiends once and for all.”

“Exactly,” Bramblestar agreed, his voice level. “So please, can we stop blaming one another, and work together to drive out these rogues?”

He glanced from the ShadowClan cats to Mudstar, then back again. Mudstar dipped his head in acquiescence, while Russetstar turned aside, breathing heavily, her eyes thin as a strand of fur.

Seeing the leaders fight like this only made Twigpaw more nervous; she felt as if she had a belly full of mice that were chasing one another’s tails.

Twigpaw hesitated. “I’m worried about my sister,” she confessed at last. “Poor Violetpaw is with the rogues right now, and she’s bound to be caught up in all of this. What if she gets hurt?”

“Violetpaw is strong and smart.” A new voice chimed in; Twigpaw turned her head to see Tawnypelt standing just behind her, with Crowclaw now by her side. Crowclaw caught Twigpaw’s eye with his own dull, blue ones, before glancing back to Tawnypelt. “She’ll be okay,” she continued reassuringly. “And none of the cats here would injure an apprentice, especially not Violetpaw.”

“Thank you.” Twigpaw gave the tortoiseshell tabby she-cat a grateful glance. She watched as Squirrelflight padded over to Tawnypelt and Crowclaw, greeting her friends with a smile.

Bramblestar waved his tail as a signal for the assembled cats to move. His muscles rippled under his dark tabby pelt as he led the way. Padding forward as one cat, the combined forces of the four Clans slid silently after him through the long grass and crossed into ShadowClan territory. Twigpaw shivered as the reek of the border markers wafted over her. They didn’t smell of ShadowClan, the usual, odd smell, that reminded Twigpaw so much of her dear sister. No. This was the rogues’ scent. The thought made Twigpaw shudder again, cold anger mingled with fear washing over her.

Every cat kept quiet under the shadow of the trees, pawsteps soundless on the thick layer of pine needles that covered the ground as they headed toward the ShadowClan camp.

But before the bushes that surrounded the camp came into view, Twigpaw spotted movement among the trees ahead. A patrol emerged: a few of the ShadowClan cats who had chosen to remain on their own territory with the rogues, and a few cats she didn’t recognize. Sleekwhisker was in the lead.

Sleekwhisker was the first to spot the warriors, her head shooting up, mesmerizing green eyes narrowing. “Intruders!” she screeched. “We’re under attack! All cats—back to camp, now!”

She whirled around and vanished into the trees, her patrol hard on her paws.

Crowclaw glared at the retreating cats and shook his head. “There goes our chance of surprising them,” he muttered, glancing at Bramblestar.

“Into your groups!” Bramblestar ordered.

Before they’d left the ThunderClan camp, every cat had been assigned to a group that would fight together in the battle. Now Twigpaw knew exactly where she was supposed to be. Still nervous, and amazed at how fast everything was happening, she raced forward, following Lionblaze. Her paws hardly touched the ground through her fur. Ivypool, Minnowtail of RiverClan, Goldenheart, Dovewing, and Sedgewhisker pelted along beside her.

“Attack!”

\--------

Needletail stretched out in camp, sunlight barely dappling the earth through the pine trees, warming patches of her pelt. A half-eaten pigeon sat in front of her, though it was stale since the hunting patrols hadn’t come back with today’s fresh-kill yet. Half of the rogues were still asleep, but some were bustling about, mostly the ShadowClan cats who accepted Darktail as their leader.

Dawnpelt’s pale tortoiseshell pelt in the nursery caught her eye. She was sitting with her tiny kits, who were barely a moon old. Skunkkit was stumbling about the needle-covered ground, chasing a leaf that was nearly as big as her. She sloppily pounced on it and Dawnpelt purred, watching her tumble about. Meanwhile, Stalkkit and Magepiekit were sitting near their mother’s stomach, watching their sister bounce about.

Sympathy for the mourning queen washed over Needletail. Crowfrost passed away three and a half moons ago, leaving the queen alone, and after she gave birth, she decided to give up her apprentice to focus on her kits. Violetpaw understood, visiting her former mentor and her kits as much as she could. Strikestone took a liking to his new siblings as soon as they were born, but Juniperfang and Sleekwhisker weren’t as excited as their brother. Juniperfang never visited them, but Sleekwhisker occasionally did; Needletail didn’t feel as if she had good intentions.

Needletail wasn’t interested in the kits, but she was excited to think that she might be able to have one as an apprentice when they were old enough.

Beenose, who had recovered from the blackcough thanks to the sap Puddleshine had left them, sat beside Needletail, their fur mingling together. Needletail felt restless, her paws itching to leave camp and go hunting. She glanced up at the sky, which was a pale blue, nearly clear besides a few clouds which rolled across.

“Here.” Needletail startled Beenose awake when she got to her paws and shoved the pigeon toward her. Beenose blinked at her, looking confused. “I’m going to hunt.

Beenose nodded. “Be careful,” she meowed, taking the pigeon between her paw and nibbling at the flesh. “I’ll tell Darktail where you are if he asks.”

Needletail stretched, a satisfying burn in her stiff muscles. “Thanks.” Just before she could reach the camp’s entrance, Sleekwhisker, Pepper, Roach, Berryheart, and Thistle burst into camp.

“We’re under attack!” Sleekwhisker hissed, her sleek tail lashing. Beenose leapt to her paws and rushed over to Pepper, making sure she was okay. Thistle shook out her bristling pelt, yellow eyes narrow.

Needletail whipped her head around to Darktail, who had been lazing beside Raven near the leader’s den. His ice eyes were narrow as he glared at Sleekwhisker’s group. “They’re right outside camp,” Sleekwhisker announced, her silky tail whipping back and forth in slow circles. “Rippletail is being attacked right now.”

Darktail sniffed, flicking his fluffy tail. “Strikestone, Dawnpelt, get the kits in the nursery,” he ordered, bounding over to Needletail. “Everyone else, out of camp now. Show no mercy. Fight for your kin at all costs.” His eyes sparkled, as if he was itching for giving a warrior a good scratch.

Ratscar and a rogue elder, Shade, ran into the elders’ den. Violetpaw rushed out of the nursery to Needletail, her black-and-white fur fluffed up. Needletail purred at her. “You look like a bristling hedgehog,” she meowed, nudging her. “What’re you so scared about?”

Violetpaw glanced up at her, her yellow eyes wide. Then she sniffed and shook out her pelt. “I’m not scared,” she assured, puffing out her chest, blinking at her friend.

Needletail flicked her black ear with her tail. “Sure you’re not,” she purred. “Just remember what Dawnpelt’s taught you and you’ll do fine, toad-brain. Don’t worry, I’ll be right by your side.” Though she knew Violetpaw was a good fighter, she was still worried. The apprentice hadn’t had a mentor in a moon, which meant she hadn’t had much training.  _ I’ll talk to one of the warriors about mentoring her, _ she promised herself, glancing at the young cat. Though she was much bigger than she used to be, she was still a small cat.  _ I just don’t want her to get hurt. _

Needletail raced out of camp with Violetpaw, Mistcloud, and Cloverfoot at her heels. Outside, fur was flying and yowls filled the air. So many cats were mingled together that Needletail couldn’t tell who was who. She flung herself at the first cat she saw. She recognized the dark, dappled gray pelt of Minnowtail. Needletail bowled her to the ground. Minnowtail hissed and lashed out her claws, barely catching Needletail’s cheek. Blood welled up and the wound stung, but Needletail ignored it, slashing at Minnowtail’s chest.

“Minnowtail!” a gray-and-white she-cat, obviously an apprentice, yowled the warrior’s name and raced over to Needletail, swiping at her flank. Violetpaw leapt on top of the apprentice, digging her fangs into her shoulder, making her scream. Minnowtail had gotten to her paws again, and she seemed as if she was going to make a move to protect her apprentice, but before she could, Needletail grabbed her tail with her teeth, biting down,  _ hard _ .

Minnowtail screeched, whipping around and scratching Needletail right above her eye. Surprised, Needletail backed away, red hot pain flashing through her. She flailed her paw, hitting Minnowtail’s cheek, hard enough to daze her. Minnowtail blinked and backed away. Violetpaw, who had chased the gray-and-white apprentice away, was now standing behind the RiverClan warrior, nipping at her back paws. Minnowtail growled and backed away, disappearing into the forest.

Needletail shook out her pelt. Blood was welling up from the wound above her eye, and she was afraid it would spill out over her eyes and blind her during battle. It stung, but she ignored the pain. “Are you okay?” she asked Violetpaw, who was panting. She had a scratch above her eye as well, but it wasn’t deep enough to bleed as much as Needletail’s.

“I’m fine,” Violetpaw assured her, deepening her breaths. “I think I hurt that apprentice a bit more than I should have.” She stared at the forest where the RiverClan apprentice had run off to, looking worried.

“Don’t worry about it,” Needletail told her, her tail lashing. “They started the attack and we’re protecting our Clan. They deserve it.”

Violetpaw glanced at Needletail, a flash of what looked like fear in her eyes. She blinked a few times, then nodded. Needletail didn’t have time to worry about the flash of fear she had seen when a ginger blur flashed past her, then a heavy weight pushed her to the ground.

Needletail glanced up, green meeting green. Needletail took a sharp breath when she recognized the flame-colored pelt of Sparkstorm. She had grown from the small apprentice Needletail had known so well on the quest to find SkyClan. For a moment, Needletail was frozen, panic and guilt rising up inside her when she saw the hurt in Sparkstorm’s eyes. Then the hurt turned to pure hatred and the ginger warrior struck out. Her paw caught Needletail’s ear. Needletail expected sharp pain to scorch through her, but it was only a dull pain, like a bruise.

“Hey, Sparky,” Needletail purred, her eyes rounding with feigned innocence. “How’s life been treating you? How’s Alder?”

Sparkstorm’s eyes blazed. “You  _ abandoned _ him,” she hissed.

Needletail let out a squeaky laugh. “I think you’ve got it mixed up,” the silver she-cat growled. “Alderpaw left  _ me _ .” Needletail lashed out her paw, her claws catching Sparkstorm’s nose. Blood welled from the deep wound and Sparkstorm screwed up her face in pain before digging her claws into Needletail’s shoulders.

Sparkstorm curled her lips in the beginning of a snarl. Her teeth were stained with blood. She lunged forward, taking Needletail’s throat in her jaws, biting down. Needletail gasped as her blood spilled from the wound, bathing her chest. Was Sparkstorm really going to kill her? Then, the weight was lifted from Needletail. Shocked, the silver she-cat looked up to see Beenose in front of Sparkstorm, her eyes slits. Sparkstorm growled and reared up to attack the black-and-white she-cat, before Yarrowleaf joined the fight with Beenose.

Needletail caught her breath, watching the three cats fight. Yarrowleaf scratched Sparkstorm’s ear, leaving a nick in it while Beenose bit down on her tail. Sparkstorm roared, kicking Beenose away from her and throwing herself on top of Yarrowleaf, rolling across the dirt and biting down into her throat.

Needletail leapt to her paws to help her campmate. Just before she could, a golden tom darted out from behind her and lunged himself at Sparkstorm. She was shocked as she watched Goldenheart grab the ThunderClan warrior and tear her off Yarrowleaf.

Sparkstorm whipped around to glare at him. “Are you completely mousebrained?” she yowled, a fire in her green eyes. “What in StarClan’s name are you doing?”

Needletail raced over to help Yarrowleaf to her paws. Yarrowleaf shook her off, panting heavily. Beenose joined Needletail’s side, green eyes narrow. Sparkstorm glanced at the three cats, then snorted a flicked her tail to Goldenheart, signaling for him to follow her. Goldenheart sent them one last look, then turned and disappeared with Sparkstorm.

“Are you okay?” Beenose asked, sniffing at the scratches on Needletail’s face, and the bitemarks on her neck.

“Fine,” Needletail snapped, peeling away from the black-and-white warrior. As she scanned the clearing, panic gripped her. “Where’s Violetpaw?” She whipped her head around to stare at her campmates, desperation in her eyes.

They shrugged. “I think she got into a fight with that WindClan apprentice, Smokepaw,” Yarrowleaf meowed, flinching when she put too much weight on one paw. Beenose gave her sister a worried glance and sniffed at the wound on her leg.

Needletail left the sisters, sniffing for her friend. Violetpaw’s scent mingled with the other cat scents, but she could detect it easily. WindClan heather scent was there too.  _ Must be Smokepaw. _ She rushed in the direction she ran in. One of them was chasing the other.

She skidded to a halt when black-and-white fur caught her eye. “Violetpaw?” she gasped, then she slumped when she realized it was Darktail. He was glaring at Russetstar, his eyes glimmering, as if he was amused. His and the former leader’s blood bathed his pelt.

Russetstar stared at him, panting as she sheathed and unsheathed her claws. Needletail crouched so her former leader couldn’t see her. She watched, eager for Darktail to attack the russet leader, only to be disappointed.

“Retreat!” Russetstar yowled, her eyes wide. “ShadowClan cats, to me!”

She raced away, while Tawnypelt and Rowanclaw, who were fighting Thistle, exchanged shocked glances, before hesitantly following their leader. Pinenose and Ferretclaw sent one last glare to Rippletail and Berryheart, then ran off with the rest of them.

Mudstar, who wasn’t far away, glared at the retreating cats and growled, letting go of Pepper, who he had pinned to the ground. “I will not fight ShadowClan’s battle for them!” He lifted his head and screeched a retreat.

“No!” Sedgewhisker of WindClan cried. “We can’t leave. The others still need our help.”

Mudstar glared at Sedgewhisker, eyes slits and tail whipping. “Fine!” he hissed. “All my loyal warriors, to me! WindClan will not fight for such cowardly mice. I will not risk any more of my warriors.”

Sedgewhisker glared at him as he ran off. Most of his cats followed him. Only Sedgewhisker, Crowclaw, Nightcloud, Hootwhisker, Heathertail, and Smokepaw stayed behind. Sedgewhisker flicked her tail to the remaining warriors and they dispersed into the fray.

Needletail ran up beside Darktail, giving a crackling laugh. “Cowards!” she yowled after the retreating cats, triumph making her paws tingle. “Looks like we’re doing pretty well, eh, Darktail?”

Darktail’s amused sparkle in his eyes was gone, replaced by a cold glare. He sniffed and turned away from Needletail. She watched him disappear into the forest, anger rising in her. “Fine,” she spat, continuing her search for Violetpaw. She avoided any fights, sniffing around. Then, Rain’s scent wafted over her scent glands.

She glimpsed her mate’s gray fur, mixed with some red. She was limping, but when she saw Needletail, her one eye brightened and she rushed over to her. She sniffed at Needletail’s wounds. “Are you okay?” she asked, licking above her eye, making the wound sting a bit.

“I’m better now that you’re here,” Needletail sighed, nuzzling her. “I can’t find Violetpaw, though. I’m worried about her.”

Rain’s eye narrowed and she nodded. “I saw her around this area, chasing after an apprentice and landing a few blows on them.”  _ Smokepaw. _ Needletail nodded.

“Show me where she is.”

They raced across the battlefield, nearly reaching ThunderClan territory, around the ditches, where gnarled tree roots poked up from the ground, before they saw Violetpaw’s fluffy pelt. Blood was trickling from one of her ears, but otherwise she was okay. Needletail looked past her, her pelt prickling when she saw the gray pelt of Violetpaw’s sister.  _ Twigpaw. _ Needletail snarled, jealousy welling up inside of her.

“Twigpaw . . .” Violetpaw trailed off, staring at her paws.

“I miss you,” Twigpaw whispered, her green eyes round.

Needletail unsheathed her claws, the jealousy overwhelming her. She lunged forward, nearly colliding with Twigpaw, before another cat crashed into her, pinning her down. She looked up to see the ThunderClan warrior, Ivypool, whose teeth were bared. “Violetpaw!” Needletail cried, turning her glare to the apprentice. “Attack Twigpaw!” She kicked Ivypool’s legs from under her, making her lose her balance and fall to the ground. Rain raced over and pinned Ivypool down, making sure she couldn’t move.

Violetpaw stared at Twigpaw, looking scared. “We’re you’re kin now, Violetpaw,” Rain meowed, staring at the apprentice with narrow eyes. She didn’t look threatening, but pensive, as if she was testing Violetpaw. “Prove yourself to us.”

Violetpaw stared at Rain, then unsheathed her claws. Eager to watch Violetpaw fight Twigpaw, Needletail growled, her tail lashing. Twigpaw backed away, fear in her eyes. Needletail willed Violetpaw to attack her, surprised when Twigpaw yowled, her back paw twisting on one of the gnarled roots. She tripped back and her leg twisted the wrong way. Needletail flinched when she heard a snap.

Ivypool yowled and grabbed Rain, shoving her off. She rushed over to Twigpaw, sniffing at her pelt. “Are you okay?” she whispered, staring at her injured paw.

Needletail stepped up beside Violetpaw. She glared at the ThunderClan cats and snarled. “Leave.”

Ivypool lashed her tail, then huffed and let Twigpaw lean on her as they padded away from the rogues.

“You should have attacked her.” Needletail glanced at Violetpaw, her eyes narrow.

“I—” Violetpaw was shaking. “I just froze up.”

Needletail locked eyes with the apprentice. Her ear was still bleeding and she had a new scratch on her shoulder. “Come on,” she flicked her tail over her friend’s good ear. “Let’s get you patched up.” She glanced at Rain. “I’m bringing Violetpaw to the medicine den. I’ll see you after this is over, okay?”

Rain nodded, touching her nose to Needletail’s own, before diving deeper into the forest to finish the battle. They padded toward ShadowClan camp, able to safely avoid the fights as they went. Needletail’s ear flicked when she heard Bramblestar and Mistystar call a retreat. She glared at the ThunderClan cats who raced past her. As she remembered the look of fear on Twigpaw’s face, she thought of Alderpaw.

Violetpaw hissed as she put too much weight on her leg, her wound obviously bugging her. Needletail pressed against her, licking her ear to get rid of the now drying blood.  _ I promise I’ll never leave you, _ she told her silently.  _ I won’t leave you like he left me. _


	4. Chapter Two

The sun was dipping behind the trees at the top of the hollow, the slanting rays filtering into the medicine cats’ den, as Alderheart laid one last piece of cobweb on Sparkstorm’s wounds. “It will heal soon,” he assured his sister, licking her ear. “Do you want poppy seeds for the pain?”

“No.” Leafpool turned from where she was tucking fresh moss around Twigpaw’s drowsing form. “We need to save the poppy seeds for the cats with more serious injuries, I’m afraid.”

“That’s okay,” Sparkstorm meowed, blinking at her brother. “It doesn’t hurt much, anyway. We were lucky that some of the WindClan cats stayed behind to help.” Her eyes sparkled. “Smokepaw came to my aid when I needed her. She’s a brave cat. Thanks, Alderheart.” She cleared her throat. “Um . . . I saw Needletail today.” Alderheart stiffened at the mention of the silver she-cat’s name, his heart racing.

“Really?” he meowed, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “How was she?”

“Angry,” Sparkstorm sighed. “She’s just the same as you said she was moons before, when she asked you to join Darktail’s group.” She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “What a confused cat, she is. So angry over nothing.” Sparkstorm stood and stretched, blinking at Alderheart. “Don’t think about her too much, okay? I love you, Alder.” She licked her brother’s cheek, before padding out of the den.

Alderheart took a deep breath, shaking the thought of his former friend away. He joined Leafpool and Puddleshine beside Twigpaw, who was dozing uncomfortably in her nest of moss and bracken, close to Brairlight. The apprentice’s fluffy gray fur was barely visible among the thick bedding. Occasionally she let out little murmurs of pain.

“I’m worried about her,” Alderheart confessed, running his paw gently across her smooth fur. “Her leg is twisted so badly. Do you really think it will heal properly?”

“I’m sure it will,” Leafpool responded, her eyes round. “Puddleshine was smart to bind the stick onto it to give her some support.”

Puddleshine licked his chest, embarrassed by the medicine cat’s praise. “She’s going to have to stay off her leg until it gets better,” he meowed, blinking at Alderheart. “I’ve treated a broken leg before, Birchpaw had tripped on one of the ditches in our territory, as well.” Still, he sounded a bit uncertain.

Alderheart blinked gratefully at the calico medicine cat, his pelt warming as he caught Puddleshine’s eyes. Puddleshine brightened and smiled at him. Alderheart turned his gaze to Twigpaw’s leg. This looked somehow worse than a broken leg. It was twisted at such an odd angle. But Leafpool said there wasn’t much they could do besides hope it would heal properly.

Alderheart was concerned about Twigpaw’s other injuries, too: the long scratches down her sides and face he had treated with marigold to protect against infection. But what worried him most of all was the heartbroken expression Twigpaw’s face before the poppy seeds had helped her drift off to sleep. He remembered her anguish as she’d told him how Violetpaw nearly attacked her. He knew how terrible he would feel if Sparkstorm had turned on him like that.

_ Twigpaw was so close to Violetpaw before she had to leave from ShadowClan, _ he mused.  _ I’ll do my best to make sure she’s okay. _

Alderheart’s thoughts were interrupted as Lilyheart stuck her head around the bramble screen. “Is Twigpaw okay?” she asked, padding in with Snowbush close behind her. She saw her daughter and her eyes rounded with worry. “She looks so small.” She sat beside Twigpaw, grooming her fur as Snowbush stood beside her. Honeypaw, Larkpaw, and Leafpaw were behind them, looking just as worried as their mother.

“She’ll be okay,” Puddleshine meowed, washing his paws of marigold. “She should heal up soon, and before then she could be walking around the camp. Plus, Alderheart is taking good care of her.”

Lilyheart glanced at the ShadowClan medicine cat, as if she didn’t believe him, then stared at Leafpool and Alderheart. “Puddleshine’s right,” Alderheart meowed, sitting beside his friend. “She’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

Lilyheart sighed and lay her head on Twigpaw’s back. “We’re so worried about her,” Larkpaw meowed. “We think she might not be able to see our warrior ceremony.” Leafpaw and Honeypaw circled Twigpaw’s nest. The gray apprentice lifted her head weakly to greet them, though she didn’t look ready for their company

Alderheart blinked at Larkpaw, smiling. “She won’t miss it,” he promised. “She’s just as excited for them as she is for her own ceremony.”

Snowbush nuzzled his daughter. “Bramblestar wanted us to let you know that they’re getting ready to leave for the Gathering,” he meowed. He had one cut under his eye, which was already covered in marigold pulp and a bit of cobweb. “I’ve convinced Lilyheart to go; I’ll be staying here with Twigpaw.”

Alderheart blinked at him. “That’d be great,” he meowed.

“I’m going to stay, too,” Leafpool meowed. “You and Puddleshine go, I’ll be fine.” She blinked at Alderheart, her eyes sparkling.

“I suppose I can go,” Puddleshine mewed, glancing behind to see Ferretclaw, curled up in his nest. His fur was slick with herb pulp. Puddleshine had been worried about his uncle, who had been badly injured during battle, attacked by Lioneye, Birchbark, and Slateclaw. Alderheart brushed against Puddleshine.

“Leafpool will take good care of him.”

“I can cope,” Leafpool promised. “I’ll check the injured warriors, then Blossomfall, Fernsong, and Ivypool wanted to speak with me.” She smiled. “They’re thinking of having kits, but Ivypool is having doubts. It’d be good to have some new kittens running around this camp. I’m sure they’d cheer up the Clan.”

Alderheart purred at the thought of the tree she-cats having kits. They’d recently become mates with Fernsong, but Ivypool and Blossomfall had been speaking about having kits for a few moons now.

“Go on and tell me what Mudstar and Russetstar say,” Leafpool meowed.

Alderheart suddenly felt anxious. “Do you think they’ll start a fight?”

“Probably,” Briarlight spoke up. “I wouldn’t put it past either of them.” She glanced at Leafpool. “Can I go? I haven’t gotten out of the camp for moons. It gets boring in here. I wanna go see the big fight.”

Leafpool looked worried, but she nodded. “Of course,” she meowed, watching the she-cat get to her front paws. “Just be careful.”

Puddleshine smiled at Alderheart, brushing against him as they padded into the clearing. The sun was gone, and twilight filled the stone hollow. The other cats who were going to the Gathering were emerging from their dens to join Alderheart’s mother and father. Squirrelflight stood with her kits, Lionblaze and Sparkstorm, her eyes sparkling as they spoke. Jayflight was also near his mother and father, speaking with Berrynose, who pressed against him, his eyes narrow. Jayflight snorted when his mate said something stupid and flicked his tail against Berrynose’s shoulder. Dovewing was close by as well, smiling as Briarlight dragged herself toward her, touching noses with her mate. They all suffered only minor injuries from the fight that morning. Alderheart’s former mentor, Toadstep, a long gash running across his back, stood beside his sister, Rosepetal. Rosepetal had a scratch on her shoulder, but it wasn’t anything too bad.

_ We really are a battered group, _ Alderheart thought. _ A battered Clan. _

As he and Puddleshine padded across the clearing to join his Clanmates, Alderheart spotted the elders emerging from their dens. Graystripe and Millie headed toward the crowd of cats around Bramblestar, Cloudtail, Brightheart, and Brackenfur behind them, but Purdy broke away from them and sidled up to Alderheart and Puddleshine.

“I've got a bit of a bellyache,” he confided in a low voice. “Do you reckon you could get me some chervil, or maybe a juniper berry, before we go?”

“You should go see Leafpool,” Alderheart responded, angling his ears in the direction of the medicine den. “She’s staying behind to keep an eye on the injured warriors and to speak with Ivypool, Fernsong, and Blossomfall.”

Purdy took a step back. “I won’t bother her if she’s busy,” he mewed. “Maybe I’ll just skip the Gatherin’ and sleep off the bellyache.”

“If you’re sure . . .”

“I’ll be fine, young ‘un,” Purdy insisted. “You’ll tell me what I missed, right?”

“Of course,” Alderheart promised. “Have a good rest, Purdy.”

As the old tabby tottered back toward the elder’s den, Alderheart realized that Bramblestar was already heading for the thorn tunnel, leading his warriors out of the camp. The ShadowClan cats who were living with them had joined the group, excluding Pinenose, who wanted to stay behind and look after her brother.

As Alderheart followed his Clanmates down to the lake and along the shore, he reflected on what he had heard about the battle that morning. No had expected so much blood to be shed, and most of the ThunderClan warriors were blaming Russetstar and Mudstar, who had both ordered their Clanmates to retreat and had given the rogues an unexpected advantage.

Mistystar had suffered a serious wound, and many of the RiverClan warriors who had jumped in to defend her were in bad shape too. When Leafpool heard that, she begged Bramblestar to let her go to RiverClan to help Mothwing and Willowshine treat the injured cats, but her leader had forbidden it.

“Mothwing and Willowshine can handle their own Clans,” he had meowed. “Leafpool, you’re needed here, in  _ our _ camp, to care for you Clanmates.”

Leafpool had dipped her head in acquiescence, though Alderheart had realized she was deeply worried about the RiverClan cats. He wondered how bad the injuries were.  _ Might Mistystar have lost a life? _

As he padded along the lakeshore, which was silent except for the lapping of waves against the pebbles, Alderheart could imagine the yowls and screeching of ferocious cats, the hot reek of blood, and the flashing of teeth and claws.  _ So much blood—and we didn’t even achieve our goal. _

_ Still the rogues hold ShadowClan’s territory. _

\--------

The ThunderClan cats talked among themselves as they traveled around the lake, but they grew quiet as they approached the end of the tree-bridge that led to the island. Alderheart could see the exhaustion in the faces and bodies of his Clanmates, though they raised their heads proudly as they padded along the tree trunk and jumped down on the opposite shore. He knew that they would do their best to hide any trace of weakness from the other Clans.

When the ThunderClan cats pushed their way through the bushes that surrounded the central clearing, they saw that RiverClan had already arrived. Alderheart suppressed a gasp of shock and pity when he saw Mistystar’s wound, a gash running from her neck and almost to her hind leg. She winced at every movement, and her eyes were filled with pain. Duskfur, Mintfur, and Minnowtail clustered closely around her, wounds visible on their bodies too. Yet all of them stood proudly; Alderheart admired their determination to be strong.

Chatter broke out among the cats of both Clans, but it sank into silence a moment later as Mudstar led the cats of WindClan into the clearing.

_ They’ve got a few scratches, _ Alderheart thought, gazing at them with disgust.  _ But none of them are as hurt as our cats, or RiverClan’s. _

Mudstar glared at Russetstar, who sat under the Great Oak in silence, her eyes narrow. Plenty of warriors were watching the two leaders who had left them in the middle of the battle, their eyes narrowed as they whispered about them. RiverClan cats hissed at Mudstar as he passed them, clearly thinking the same as Alderheart.

Alderheart and Puddleshine padded closer to the Great Oak in the center of the clearing, murmuring greetings to Mothwing and Willowshine, who were already sitting there. Kestrelflight and Brindlepaw joined them a few heartbeats later. Alderheart flashed them with an awkward glance; the rest of the cats simply ignored them. Kestrelflight crouched a tail-length away, clearing embarrassed, and said nothing, while Brindlepaw stared at her paws, her tail flicking.

Bramblestar and Russetstar leaped onto the branches of the Great Oak, followed closely by Mudstar, who scrambled out onto a branch far away from the other two. Duskfur whispered something to Mistystar, but the leader shook her head firmly and began to claw her way up the tree, her teeth set in grim determination, collapsing on a low branch.

“Could Russetstar even be considered a Clan leader anymore?” Sparkstorm whispered to Rosepetal. “The only other cats who follow her are three family members and three other ShadowClan cats.”

Rosepetal sniffed. “I don’t think she should be up there,” she muttered. “Nor should Mudstar; both of them leaving us like that after moons of planning this battle.”

Overhearing his sister and her former mentor, Alderheart shifted uncomfortably. He knew that she was wrong. Only StarClan could decide who was leader of a Clan and who wasn’t, and they chose Russetstar. She had a right to sit with the other leaders. But that didn't change the fact that ShadowClan was in trouble.

_ Even worse trouble, after today, _ Alderheart reflected, a terrible thought filling his mind. A thought he could barely believe could be possible.  _ Is this the end of ShadowClan? _

“I think we all know what we need to discuss tonight,” Mistystar announced, after she had called for attention from the cats in the clearing. “Two cats betrayed us this morning, costing us the battle. Mudstar, what got into this morning? RiverClan took the worst of the damage!”

“So you say,” Mudstar snapped.

“And how would you know?” Mistystar flashed back at him. “You weren’t there, you coward! Neither were you, Russetstar.” She snapped her glare toward the ShadowClan leader, who lifted her head, her eyes blazing. “Lizardtail was  _ killed _ , and many more of my warriors were injured. All to solve a problem we did nothing to cause!”

Alderheart was startled. He hadn’t realized that any cat had died in the battle. Now he understood even better the scathing contempt in Mistystar’s eyes and voice as she faced the two leaders.

“Perhaps I should do the same as you,” Mistystar snarled, “and only think of myself when it comes to helping the other Clans. If your territory is taken over by the rogues, don’t expect us to help!”

“Mistystar, no cat wants you to do that,” Bramblestar broke in, clearly trying to stay calm. “But we certainly don’t blame you for feeling as you do.” He glanced at Mudstar, then Russetstar. “I’m sure we’re all wondering the same thing.  _ Why _ in StarClan’s name did you two order your cats to retreat?”

“I don’t have to tell you anything,” Russetstar meowed defensively, her fur bristling. “I had my reasons.”

“You’re a coward,” Mudstar snarled. Russetstar opened her jaws, then gave him a conflicted look, backing down. “ _ I _ retreated because my warriors were weak and dying! Why would I force my warriors to stay and fight when Russetstar just decided to up and leave! He glared at the russet leader.

“ _ Lizardtail died, _ ” Mistystar repeated with a growl. “If your cats hadn’t retreated, he’d still be here! We’re lucky that some of your warriors had the common sense to stay and fight. I saw your cat, Sedgewhisker, fend off a rogue to save our apprentice, Cypresspaw.”

Mudstar lashed his tail, but decided to ignore Mistystar’ comment on the warriors who betrayed him. “I shouldn’t have to see my Clan destroyed rescuing ShadowClan from its own incompetence. My only responsibility is to WindClan.” Still, the warriors who had retreated cringed and sent apologetic glances to the RiverClan warriors. “You should all be angry with  _ Russetstar _ not me.” He glared at her, and Alderheart thought he saw a knowing glint in his eye. “I saw her hesitate while in a fight with Darktail, before she retreated. Why, may I ask, didn’t you kill him?”

Russetstar’s eyes grew icy. “That’s none of your business,” she snapped, digging her claws into the bark. “I have my reasons. You gave your word that you would help us drive out the rogues. And then you broke that word. How can any cat trust you again?”

Mudstar gave a bitter laugh, scoring the tree with his claws. “You’re a fine one to talk! I saw your warrior, Goldenheart, protect your former Clanmates.  _ Then _ you left us, barely helping us at all. Do not blame  _ me _ for losing the battle!”

Russetstar sheathed and unsheathed her claws, her shoulder sagging. “I . . . I did leave, I admit to that, and it was stupid. But I do not believe that we lost our honor because we could not bring ourselves to attack our true Clanmates. Once the rogues are driven out, ShadowClan—”

“Thanks to you and Mudstar,” Mistystar interrupted her voice full of bitterness, “right now the rogues don’t seem anywhere close to being driven out. First of all we held back from getting rid of them because of the prophecy that told us to embrace what lay in the shadows.”

“And every Clan agreed with that,” Rowanclaw pointed out from where he sat with the other deputies.

Mistystar sniffed in disdain. “It was ShadowClan who assumed they should let strange cats move onto their territory! If you ask me, Russetstar, you brought this on yourself.”

“But—” Russetstar began.

“We’ve waited too long to drive out the rogues,” Mistystar retorted. “Perhaps we were confused by the prophecy, but its meaning seems clear now: the rogues are not ‘what you find in the shadows.’ The rogues are what we must drive out to clear the sky!”

Russetstar had no answer to that, and in a moment’s silence that followed, Mallownose of RiverClan sprang to his paws.

“But  _ how _ ?” he asked. “The lost kits that ShadowClan and ThunderClan took in don’t seem to be part of the prophecy, either,” he pointed out. “We thought that by embracing them, we would find the answer. But they’ve been with the Clans even longer, and things here beside the lake are only getting worse.”

Alderheart cast an unfriendly look at the RiverClan tom, his neck fur beginning to bristle.  _ Violetpaw and Twigpaw were innocent kits! You can’t expect them to solve a problem like Darktail. _

At the same time, Alderheart could not help feeling frustrated.  _ I know what the prophecy is about—SkyClan! I just have to convince dad. _

Arguments were springing up all over the clearing, drowning out the voices of the Clan leaders. The cats sounded increasingly desperate, worrying about what the prophecy might mean.

“What if the sky  _ never _ clears?” Featherpelt of WindClan wailed plaintively.

Snarls and hisses rose up around Alderheart. Cats were leaping up, their fur fluffed out and their ears flattened in rage. He felt that, at any moment, the truce of the Gathering might be broken.

Alderheart leapt down and ran over to Sparkstorm and Rosepetal. “Sparkstorm! We have to—” he began.

Before he could get more words out, Alderheart realized that the light in the clearing was growing dim. Looking up, he saw that a cloud had begun to drift across the moon, obscuring the shining silver circle.

“Look at the moon!” Bramblestar’s voice rose above the clamor in the clearing. “StarClan is angry! This Gathering is at an end.”

Instantly, the four leaders jumped down from the Great Oak and began to call their Clans together. The hostile snarling died away as the cats glanced anxiously up at the darkening sky and hurried to leave the island across the tree-bridge. But they still glared at one another; there were none of the friendly farewells that marked the end of an ordinary Gathering.

Alderheart felt uneasy. He wished the Gathering had lasted long enough for the Clans to work out their differences.

_ But then, _ he reflected,  _ that probably wouldn’t have happened if we’d kept on arguing all night. _

The rift between the Clans was too deep to be easily healed. It made him more certain than ever that he had to persuade Bramblestar to tell the other Clans the truth.  _ For the sake of SkyClan, too, _ he added to himself, remembering the wretched cats he saw from his vision.

Alderheart was unable to relax until his Clan had crossed the bridge and was heading back to ThunderClan territory along the WindClan lakeshore. Then he slipped away from Puddleshine and quickened his pace until he caught up to Bramblestar at the head of the group.

“May I speak with you?” he asked.

His father blinked at him in surprise. “Of course,” he replied. “If you have anything useful to say about this mess, I want to hear it.”

“I think the time has come to tell the other Clans about SkyClan,” Alderheart began. “No, please listen to me,” he continued when Bramblestar looked as if he was about to protest. “SkyClan lies in the shadows, hidden from all of us—and helping them would ‘clear the sky.’ Right?”

“Don’t we have enough problems on our own territory,” Bramblestar asked, “without taking on another difficult quest?”

“I had another vision,” Alderheart told him. “The SkyClan cats are still wandering, lost and homeless—now they don’t even have a medicine cat. They need our help, and I don’t think StarClan would be giving me these visions if we weren’t  _ meant _ to help them.” encouraged to see that Bramblestar had begun to look more thoughtful, he added, “If the prophecy is about SkyClan, then every cat should know about them. After all, the prophecy was given to  _ all _ the Clans, not just me.”

Bramblestar hesitated before replying, and Alderheart felt his belly tense with worry.  _ I’m sure it’s time for the secret to be told, _ he thought,  _ but what if Bramblestar refuses? Can I go against the orders of my father, my Clan leader? _

Bramblestar let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry, Alderheart, but no,” he meowed, his voice firm. Alderheart stiffened. “I promised Firestar I’d keep this a secret, and we’ve already told so many cats. Plus, we have enough to deal with the rogues already. We can’t, Alderheart. I can’t cause more drama among the Clans. I’m sorry.”

Alderheart’s heart dropped as his father peeled away from him. He slumped, heart racing as he stared at his paws.  _ He didn’t listen to me. _ He dug his claws into the earth, upset.

“Alderheart.” He jumped, whipping around to see his mother approaching him. Squirrelflight’s eyes were narrow. “I heard what you said. And I think you’re right. It’s time we told the Clans about SkyClan.”


	5. Chapter Three

The sun was high over ThunderClan camp. Alderheart and Squirrelflight were in Bramblestar’s den. Sparkstorm had joined them, saying she agreed that they should tell the other Clans about SkyClan and help them. “I already said no,” Bramblestar sighed, exasperated.

“It’s time, Bramblestar,” Squirrelflight insisted, staring at her mate with a cold, hard stare. “You don’t have to keep this secret for my parents any longer. The Clans  _ must _ know about the fifth Clan.”

“Squirrelflight—”

He was cut off by his mate. “I’m not taking no for an answer.” She faced him, her tail lashing. “Firestar and Sandstorm are dead, and SkyClan is in danger. These Clans are our only hope. You must realize by now that we must reveal the secret.”

When Bramblestar didn’t reply, Squirrelflight huffed and whipped around and out of the den, stomping. “Where is she going?” Sparkstorm wondered out loud, following her mother out. Alderheart followed his kin close behind.

“All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the highledge for a Clan meeting!” Squirrelflight called. Every cat was in camp now that hunting and border patrols were finished, enjoying their noon meal. They all looked confused when they saw Squirrelflight on the Highledge.

“For many moons now, Bramblestar has been keeping a secret from you,” Squirrelflight began, sitting down and wrapping her tail neatly around her paws. Her Clanmates murmured to one another, their eyes wide. Lionblaze’s ears perked and he shared a surprised glance with Jayflight, as if he had guessed what she was going to say already. “My father, Firestar, kept it from you as well. And StarClan’s been keeping it a secret for seasons on end.”

Bramblestar stepped forward, his tail twitching. He stood next to Squirrelflight. “There is a fifth Clan. It is time SkyClan returned to us.”

Gasps and confused whispers erupted from the Clans.

“Who is  _ SkyClan _ ?” Rowanclaw snapped, his eyes narrow as he glared at Bramblestar. “ThunderClan has been keeping an  _ entire Clan _ a secret from us for moons?” He laughed a bitter chortle, his eyes narrow. “I wouldn’t believe it if it weren’t for your history.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sparkstorm hissed, her ginger pelt bristling.

“Silence,” Squirrelflight snapped. “I will tell you everything.” She started from the beginning, when Firestar founded SkyClan again, bringing together their descendants to recreate the Clan. She explained Alderheart’s dream and the prophecy, how Alderheart’s quest was to find SkyClan and bring them home. “Darktail had driven them out, and now the rogues are here. We must find SkyClan and help them like my father once did.”

“I’d have something to say to Needletail if she were here,” Rowanclaw meowed with a lash of his tail. “She never said a word about visiting SkyClan territory! I knew we should never have trusted her.”

“She only kept it a secret because I asked her to!” Alderheart told him. It felt odd defending his old friend, who had done so much at this point that he knew he should hate her, like Sparkstorm did. “I thought it was for the best.”

Rowanclaw looked at him, unimpressed. “Her first loyalty should have been to ShadowClan,” he huffed.

“I want to get a few patrols together tomorrow morning to tell Mudstar and Mistystar about SkyClan,” Squirrelflight continued, ignoring Rowanclaw. “It’s for the best that the other Clans know as well.” she glanced at Bramblestar, who was staring at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. “If you have any questions, Bramblestar, my kits, and I will be in the leader’s den to answer them. Please, one at a time.”

The Clan spoke amongst themselves for a while as Squirrelflight rejoined Bramblestar. “It wasn’t that hard,” she meowed, playfully tickling his nose with her fluffy tail. Then her eyes rounded. “I’m sorry I had to do that to you like that. But it was for the best.”

Bramblestar sighed and hung his head. “It was,” he sighed. Then he pressed his nose against Squirrelflight’s own. “I’m sorry I doubted you, Squirrel. And you Alderheart.” He blinked at his son. “Thank you.”

Alderheart smiled at his parents as they nuzzled each other. He glanced over his shoulder at the Clan. Russetstar was padding over to Alderheart. She looked worried. Alderheart’s heart began to race with anxiety as the tall ShadowClan leader stood in front of him. “Darktail was the one who drove out SkyClan?” she rasped.

Alderheart blinked in confusion. “Yes, he was,” he meowed, keeping his voice low.

Russetstar sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry.” Her tail flicked and before Alderheart could ask why she was sorry, she was padding away.

Alderheart tipped his head and watched her go.  _ What was that about? _

\--------

Sunhigh was approaching as Alderheart waded through the stream that marked the border with WindClan. In front of him were Jayflight and Lionblaze, Sparkstorm by Alderheart’s side.

Facing the swell of moorland that they had to climb, Alderheart felt exhausted, hardly able to put one paw in front of another. He had barely slept the night before. Many cats padded into the den, asking questions about SkyClan, even going to Jayflight, Lionblaze, Rosepetal, and Toadstep about their journey. All the questions overwhelmed Alderheart, especially the ones he didn’t know how to answer. Even when he was sent to his den as night came, he felt anxious. Sparkstorm had joined him, licking his ear and telling him he did well.

She slept beside him that night, her scent and deep breaths soothing him. It had been moons since he slept beside his sister. He forgot what it was like to be with her. He fell asleep a while after moonhigh.

Then, before the sun was even up, Bramblestar had sent out a patrol consisting of all the quest cats that had gone to find SkyClan, plus himself and Squirrelflight. Toadstep and Rosepetal took up the rear, while Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, and their kits led them toward RiverClan territory. Sparkstorm was keeping optimistic, saying that this was just like their little quest to SkyClan. Alderheart found it nice, but he knew this wasn’t the same. Neither Sandstorm nor Needletail were here with them. It was odd.

Alderheart was apprehensive to tell RiverClan about SkyClan, remembering Mistystar’s justified anger at the Gathering the night before. But, to his relief, the meeting had gone better than he had anticipated.

“Just what I’d expect from ThunderClan!” Heronwing had snapped. “Thinking they should keep this secret to themselves—that they’re the only Clan that matters!”

But Duskfur had silenced him with a flick of her tail. She glanced toward Mistystar, blinking at her. Mistystar cleared her throat. “Is it true that you don’t know how to find SkyClan?” she asked Alderheart. Her voice was tired, her wound still not fully healed.

Alderheart nodded. “Not yet.”

“Not ever, I should hope,” the elder, Mosspelt, muttered. “There are enough cats around the lake already.”

Alderheart blinked at the elder in surprise. He glanced at Sparkstorm, but she looked pensive now, blinking slowly at the elder.  _ Does she agree with Mosspelt? _ He opened his jaws to say something, but Mistystar cut him off.

“In that case, I don’t see what we can do,” she mewed, then blinked at Bramblestar. “RiverClan needs to lick our wounds. We need a few moons to recover after the battle. I will be happy to help when we are fully healed.”

Alderheart had felt disappointed that RiverClan hadn’t shown any more enthusiasm about finding the lost Clan, but at least they hadn’t been upset or hostile. And he had to admit, telling other cats of this secret felt like taking a weight off his shoulders which plagued him for moons now. He was sure his father and the other cats who knew of SkyClan felt the same way.

_ But how is Mudstar going to react? _ Alderheart wondered as he toiled up the moorland slope in the pawsteps of his Clanmates.  _ He’s so unpredictable, and after the last battle . . . well it doesn’t seem like he’s going to be much help. _

A stiff breeze was blowing from the crest of the moor, flattening Alderheart’s whiskers against his face. It carried the scent of many, fresh but distant, coming from the direction of the WindClan camp. Then, before the ThunderClan patrol had traveled more than a few fox-lengths from the border stream, a stronger scent wafted over them, and a WindClan patrol appeared from behind an outcrop of rocks.

The black tom, Crowclaw, was in the lead, followed by Nightcloud, Larksoar, Furzepelt, and Nightcloud’s apprentice, Smokepaw. Though Crowclaw’s eyes were still dull, he looked to be taking care of himself once more. Or, his family could have been taking care of their kin.

Lionblaze halted and signaled to his patrol to do the same as Nightcloud stalked up to them. The WindClan cats were ruffled and wary of the ThunderClan cats.

“What are you doing on WindClan territory?” Nightcloud asked, her voice cool. Alderheart blinked at her, glad she was doing well. Just a few moons before, she had helped the medicine cats gather the sap on WindClan territory. She caught his eye. There was no aggression there, only a steady stare. “You’re not welcome here. Mudstar does not want to see any cats from other Clans at this time.”

Bramblestar dipped his head to the black she-cat. “I believe Mudstar will want to know—” he began.

“Then you believed wrong!” Crowclaw retorted, surprising Alderheart. “Mudstar is  _ very _ upset about the accusations that were made at the Gathering.” You _ stayed behind and helped the other Clans during the battle with Darktail’s rogues. Why are you defending Mudstar now? _

“But we’ve come on important Clan business,” Bramblestar argued.

“Yes,” Squirrelflight added, “and it has to do with a medicine cat vision. Come on, Crow, this is me you’re talking to. Have you forgotten how we all made the journey to the ocean together? You should know that I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Crowclaw looked uncomfortable, then dug his claws into the rough moorland grass. “That was a long time ago,” he muttered, sounding as if he regretted having to turn them down, “and I have my orders from Mudstar now. Turn back, and get off our territory.” He held his gaze with Bramblestar and Squirrelflight. “Please.”

Bramblestar exchanged a frustrated glance with his mate. Alderheart was afraid they would have to obey Crowclaw and leave, when he heard a yowl coming from the top of the hill and saw another WindClan patrol racing down toward them.

“What’s going on?” Sedgewhisker, the cat in the lead, asked Crowclaw as she halted beside him. Alderheart was surprised that Sedgewhisker had been allowed to lead a patrol. She was banned from Gatherings for three moons after her idea of going behind Mudstar’s back; Alderheart hadn’t seen her for a long time. “What do these cats want?”

Her companions, Oatclaw and Featherpelt, stood a pace behind her, eyeing the ThunderClan cats warily.  _ We’re outnumbered if this comes to a fight, _ Alderheart thought, glancing toward his Clanmates. Sparkstorm already had her claws unsheathed, edging closer to Alderheart.

“They say they want to speak with Mudstar,” Crowclaw replied. “But Mudstar won’t want to speak to  _ them _ .”

“We have important information for him,” Squirrelflight put in swiftly.

Sedgewhisker gazed at the ThunderClan deputy for a heartbeat, then blinked at them. “Maybe Mudstar will want to hear what another Clan leader has to tell him,” she meowed eventually. “We’d better escort them to camp.”

Crowclaw looked shocked. “Are you mousebrained?” he demanded. “Do you really think Mudstar would be happy to find out that  _ you _ let a bunch of ThunderClan cats into camp, especially after he gave orders to keep  _ all other cats out. _ ”

Sedgewhisker’s eyes narrowed. “Mousebrained yourself, Crowclaw,” the brown tabby responded. “Bramblestar wouldn’t be here if this weren’t something Mudstar needed to know. I’ll take responsibility, if it bothers you so much.”

Crowclaw opened his jaws for a stinging retort, then clearly thought better of it. “Suit yourself,” he snarled with an angry shrug. “If Mudstar claws your ears off, don’t come yowling to me.”

“I’ll take the risk,” Sedgewhisker mewed with a twitch of her whiskers.

Without bothering to respond, Crowclaw waved his tail to gather the rest of his patrol, and headed downhill toward the border. Furzepelt gave Sedgewhisker a slow blinked, then ran off with the rest of her patrol.

Sedgewhisker watched them go, then turned to Bramblestar and the others. “Ignore that featherbrain,” she huffed. “Come on. This had better be good.”

Flanked by Oatclaw and Featherpelt, Bramblestar followed her up the slope, with Alderheart and the rest clustered behind him. As they climbed further up, Alderheart glanced down in the direction of the horseplace and was surprised to spot a third WindClan patrol along the lakeshore.

_ Why are their borders being so heavily guarded? _ he wondered.

When they drew close to the camp, Sedgewhisker sent Oatclaw racing ahead to warn Mudstar of their arrival. By the time Bramblestar and his patrol crossed the lip of the hollow where WindClan had their camp, Mudstar was waiting for them outside his den. As they padded down toward him, more WindClan warriors surrounded him, suspicion and hostility in their eyes and their bristling fur.

_ If we put one whisker out of place, I’m sure they’ll tear our pelts off, _ Alderheart thought uneasily. He hoped the cats who had rebelled against Mudstar during the blackcough outbreak wouldn’t let their Clanmates hurt them.

“Well, Bramblestar? What is it you want?” Mudstar demanded as Bramblestar drew closer, facing off with the WindClan leader. Surprisingly enough, Mudstar didn’t look too upset with the ThunderClan leader; there was only a wary look in his eyes.  _ WindClan and ThunderClan were once close. Maybe he’s remembering our alliance. _ Alderheart’s heart raced.  _ Maybe he’ll help us find SkyClan if we’re careful enough. _ “If it's about the battle, you can turn around right now and get off my territory.”

“This has nothing to do with the battle,” Bramblestar meowed with a dip of his head to the older leader. “There’s something important that you ought to know. Do you remember, seasons ago, back in the old forest, when Firestar left ThunderClan for a while . . . ?”

Alderheart watched Mudstar closely while Bramblestar told the story that no WindClan cat had heard until now; how Firestar had been led to the gorge by a vision of a SkyClan ancestor and had helped renew the lost SkyClan. Outrage grew on the WindClan leader’s face with every word that Bramblestar spoke. Alderheart’s heart dropped.

“So ThunderClan has been lying all this time?” he burst out when Bramblestar had finished. “I should have known you couldn’t be trusted, Bramblestar—you or Firestar before you!”

An elder, Onewhisker, stepped toward Mudstar. “Now, now, I’m sure Firestar had a good reason to keep this secret,” he meowed, blinking at his leader. Alderheart stared at the brown tom. He wasn’t born at the time, but Onewhisker had once been his deputy, before he retired. Mudstar and him were close, and Onewhisker was once known for calming his aggressive leader.

Mudstar whipped his glare to Onewhisker, who didn’t flinch. “You were always close to that kittypet,” he snarled, unsheathing his claws.

Onewhisker narrowed his eyes, and opened his jaws to speak, only to be cut off.

“How does it feel to know he’s been lying to you, Onewhisker?”

The old brown tabby held his glare at Mudstar, then his eyes rounded and he lowered his head to stare at his paws, hurt.

“No cat has lied to any cat,” Squirrelflight spoke up from beside Bramblestar, glancing from Mudstar to Onewhisker. “But Firestar saw no reason to spread the story around, and neither did Bramblestar—until now.”

Mudstar let out a snort of disgust. “So what has changed?”

For answer, Bramblestar gestured with his tail for Alderheart to step forward. Alderheart’s belly rolled with nerves as he faced the WindClan leader’s hostile stare. He caught Onewhisker’s amber gaze: he looked sad and eager for answers as to why one of his best friends was lying to him. He managed to keep his voice steady for the elder as he explained his visions.

“I’m sure that the prophecy is StarClan’s way of telling us that we need to help SkyClan,” he finished.

Mudstar’s lips curled back in the beginning of a snarl, and he gave a furious lash of his tail. “So you want my support to help some strange Clan that only ThunderClan has ever heard of?” he rasped. “Are you planning to bring them here and give them WindClan territory? You won’t get the chance.”

Some WindClan cats growled in agreement with their leader, while others looked uneasily a one another. Sparkstorm and Jayflight unsheathed their claws and stepped up next to Alderheart, while Toadstep stood close behind him.

“Enough, Mudstar.” Sedgewhisker stepped forward, her eyes narrow. “You know full well that’s not what they meant.”

Mudstar sent her a glare. Bramblestar stepped closer to the WindClan leader, making him flinch. “We didn’t intend that at all,” Bramblestar agreed, blinking at Sedgewhisker. “Alderheart, tell Mudstar about your quest.”

Still uneasy, Alderheart began the story of how he and his Clanmates had made the long journey to the gorge where SkyClan had their camp, only to find that they had been driven out by the rogues.

“They were the same rogues who attacked ShadowClan, then your patrol,” he explained. “The same who have taken over ShadowClan territory.”

As he spoke, Alderheart saw the anger in Mudstar’s eyes become overtaken by a pensive look. For a moment, Mudstar stood silent, as if processing hhis words. “So Darktail was to blame for SkyClan being driven out form the gorge?” he asked. “And for ShadowClan to be pushed out of their territory.”

Alderheart nodded.

Mudstar shared a glance with Onewhisker, then Whitetail and Gorsetail. Then he let out a bitter laugh, growing louder and louder, unsheathing his claws. Alderheart shared a scared glance with Toadstep. “Russetstar’s brought this upon herself!” he snapped, his eyes sparkling with anger, a chuckle still in his voice. “Let her solve SkyClan’s problem, and her own. And you ThunderClan cats need to get out! Get out—get off my territory! WindClan’s borders are closed!” He glared at Bramblestar.

Alderheart stared at Bramblestar stunned.  _ What’s that all about? _ he asked himself.  _ What’s making Mudstar so furious? _

Though Bramblestar tried to protest, Mudstar refused to listen. His warriors gathered around the ThunderClan leader and his patrol, herding them back up the side of the hollow and onto the moor.

“I’ll escort you to the border,” Sedgewhisker meowed, beckoning a few more cats to join her with a whisk of her tail.

The ThunderClan cats headed downhill in silence. As they padded along beside their leader, Sedgewhisker padded up beside Alderheart, her eyes narrow. “Mudstar’s hiding something,” she hissed into his ear. “And so are a few of the older cats.” She flicked her tail to him. “We think it has something to do with Russetstar. Tell me if you can get anything out of her, okay?”

Alderheart stared at her in surprise, but was unable to talk to her any longer when Sparkstorm sidled up beside her brother, complaining about Mudstar.  _ What would Mudstar and Russetstar be hiding? _


	6. Chapter Four

The hot greenleaf sun beat down on the moor, only swift breezes of air cooling the cats of WindClan down. Luckily, the medicine den, formed inside a crevice in a large rock in camp, was cool as usual. Brindlepaw sat beside the pool near the front of the den, washing her paws of dock. “You’re free to go,” she meowed to Larksoar, who still held her paw up so she didn’t put any weight on it. She got pricked by a thorn, nothing major, but she said it hurt much more than usual, so Brindlepaw washed it with some dock just in case.

Larksoar dipped her head to the medicine cat apprentice. “You’re a lifesaver,” she meowed, limping out of the den to greet her sister, Ferntail.

Brindlepaw watched them go, wondering what it was like to be a newly made warrior. She remembered Ferntail and Larksoar’s warrior ceremony just a few days before. They were ecstatic and Brindlepaw had watched their vigil from in her den. It must have been hard, having to stay up all night without talking, especially on such a cool night.

Brindlepaw turned back to her herbs, which were piled up behind her. Kestrelflight and her had gathered them the other day, and she had yet to sort them out. She sniffed the pile, then picked out the goldenrod. After the battle a few days before, Mudstar had obtained a few wounds that Kestrelflight said needed to be tended to daily. She grabbed the goldenrod between her jaws, then turned to her mentor.

He was hunched over Hootwhisker. Brindlepaw’s eyes rounded with sympathy for the dark gray tom. He was one of the few WindClan warriors to have stayed behind after Mudstar called a retreat, and he seemed to have gotten into the worst fights. He had one long scratch from his shoulder to his flank, and his nose had been battered by multiple claws.

Nightcloud had said the day before that Heathertail was the one to save him. Now, he was on the brink of death thanks to the wounds.

“How is he?” Brindlepaw asked, sitting beside Kestrelflight.

Kestrelflight sighed. “He’s not doing any better,” he murmured. Hootwhisker didn’t move as he slept; Brindlepaw could only see his chest rising and falling at a slow pace. “It seems his bleeding has slowed. I’m scared to take off the cobwebs we gave him, he might bleed out.” The brownish-gray tom shook his head. “I’ve never seen wounds this deep since the battle with the Dark Forest.”

Brindlepaw put her tail on Kestrelflight’s shoulder, lowering her head. This whole ordeal had been hard on him, especially when Mudstar refused to give ShadowClan the sap.

“Why should we help them with their problems if they aren’t even trying to solve the bigger ones?” Mudstar had snapped while arguing with Sedgewhisker and Brindlepaw, four moons ago, when they had brought up that he should be helping them. “Their problems are not my own. We have our own sick cats to think about, don’t we?”

Sedgewhisker didn’t argue after that. She plotted with Brindlepaw and the others behind Mudstar’s back, deciding to take matters into her own paws. Even after they gave the sap to the other Clans, Sedgewhisker’s rebellion didn’t end. Brindlepaw shuddered when she remembered the fight between her and Mudstar when she and the other warriors who had stayed with ThunderClan and RiverClan in the battle against Darktail returned.

“You shouldn’t have retreated!” Sedgewhisker had snapped, snarling in the center of camp. Crowclaw and Breezepelt shared an awkward glance before sneaking out of camp. Flashheart was watching from the medicine den, worried for his mate, Hootwhisker. “The other Clans obviously needed our help. Lizardtail was killed. Those rogues were showing no mercy!”

“My warriors were getting mauled,” Mudstar snarled back, amber eyes blazing. “Look what they did to Hootwhisker thanks to you!” His tail lashed. “Staying behind was a horrible idea.”

“Thanks to  _ me _ ?” Sedgewhisker’s eyes had narrowed to slits. “If you and the other WindClan warriors had stayed behind, Hootwhisker might have had another cat to help him in his time of need.” She growled at Mudstar, her claws digging into the grass. “You’re weak, Mudstar. You are no leader of mine.”

Once she was finished, she stalked away, slipping into the medicine den to see Hootwhisker. Brindlepaw, who had been watching from the entrance of the medicine den, backed away from the bristling brown tabby. She’d never seen her friend so furious.

Now, Brindlepaw glanced over her shoulder at the entrance of the medicine den. There sat her sister, Smokepaw. The gray she-cat was staring out at the camp, as if itching to get out and hunt or patrol. Brindlepaw’s heart ached for her sister. She and Hootwhisker had gotten the worst of it in the battle. Smokepaw had received a wound from her ear down to her shoulder, which seemed to have hurt like a badger bite. She was wailing in the den when she returned home, her eyes watery as Kestrelflight and Brindlepaw treated her. Heathertail and Breezepelt had been waiting anxiously outside the den, their pelts bristling with fear.

Brindlepaw had wished all night that she had been there to protect her sister. She would take her place in a heartbeat. Then, anxiety made her chest tighten.  _ Would _ she have been able to protect her sister?  _ I’m not a warrior, I’m not brave, _ she had told herself, burying her nose into her paws.  _ I don’t think I would be able to put myself in harm’s way like that. _

Guilt pricked her paws once more as she thought of it. She wondered if she would just sit and watch if she saw Smokepaw getting hurt. Instead of thinking like that, she padded over to her sister, sniffing at her wounds.

“Hey,” she meowed, nudging her. “How have you been doing?”

Smokepaw rolled her shoulders, wincing when she stretched her wound. “I’ve been better,” she sighed, smiling. Brindlepaw let out a small chuckle. It was good that her sister was regaining her old, ditzy attitude, but the medicine cat could still see the pain in her eyes, and her wound was red.

Brindlepaw’s heart quickened at the thought of the injury becoming infected. She shuffled her paws. “I’m sorry you got injured so badly,” she murmured, staring at it with wide eyes. “It looks painful.”

“Eh, it’s not that bad.” Smokepaw licked her wound. “It would have been much worse if my amazing medicine cat sister wasn’t there to treat it for me.”

Brindlepaw shuffled her paws and licked her chest fur in embarrassment. “It was mostly Kestrelflight.”

“Still, thank you.” Smokepaw’s eyes sparkled as she nuzzled Brindlepaw. Brindlepaw smiled and lay her forehead against Smokepaw’s. Her sister’s scent reminded Brindlepaw of their time spent together in the nursery. It was so long ago, it made Brindlepaw nostalgic. Now, them and their parents barely had time to spend together since they were apprentices. “So, when am I gonna be able to get out of here?”

Brindlepaw feigned hurt. “You don’t want to stay here with your amazing medicine cat sister?” she gasped, raising her paw and pressing it against her forehead dramatically. “I thought you were enjoying your time here.”

Smokepaw laughed and shoved her, sticking her tongue out. “It’s not that I don’t like spending time with you,” she purred, “I just hate the smell of this place.” She glanced around. “Plus it’s really dark in here.”

“I get it,” Brindlepaw got to her paws and stretched. “You’re just going to have to wait until your wound heals, I’m afraid.” She glanced back at Kestrelflight and Hootwhisker, then at the goldenrod near her paws.  _ I need to check on Mudstar. _ Still, she didn’t want to leave her sister’s side.

“I’ll  _ never _ get out of here!” Smokepaw sighed, glaring at her wound. “I wish you’d heal faster.”

Brindlepaw rolled her eyes and flicked her sister’s ear with her tail. “I have to go,” she licked Smokepaw’s cheek and picked up the goldenrod. “I’ll be back, Kestrelflight!” She looked at the brownish-gray tom, who flicked his ear in acknowledgement as he chewed up some herbs for Hootwhisker’s angry wounds.

She slunk out of the den, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. Her first sight was her mother and father near the fresh-kill pile. Breezepelt was licking the wound on Heathertail’s cheek, before his tail flicked ever so slightly.

“I should have stayed behind with you,” he sighed. His amber eyes were round with worry for his mate. “I could have protected you then.”

Heathertail snorted and smiled. “Don’t be silly,” she mewed, pressing her nose against his cheek. “I can protect myself, you know that. You still have yourself to think about.” Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t think I didn’t see that scratch on your stomach. You should have told me you were hurt.”

Brindlepaw wished she could join her parents, but she still needed to see Mudstar. She padded over to where he was sitting, in the shaded area beside the Tallrock. On top of the Tallrock was Gorsetail, the only cat Mudstar seemed to trust with setting up patrols.

When she got close to the WindClan leader, the smell of blood hit her scent glands, surprising her. She twitched her nose, trying to get rid of the strange scent. She rushed over to him, sniffing at his pelt and beginning to chew up the goldenrod.

Mudstar was staring at her, his eyes narrow and untrusting. Brindlepaw sniffed and spat out the goldenrod onto his wounds, rubbing it in. “I don’t want to hear your lecture again today,” she huffed, grabbing more of the goldenrod to chew it up. For the past three moons, Mudstar had been telling her she shouldn’t have betrayed her Clan like she did; as if she and the other cats who had rebelled  _ hadn’t _ saved ShadowClan from certain doom.

Whenever Brindlepaw retaliated, Mudstar threatened to throw her out of WindClan entirely.  _ As if he has the guts to do that. _

“You’re not going to hear that again from me today,” Mudstar meowed. “I’ve been thinking it over.” He glanced at Brindlepaw, his eyes still slits. “Maybe it was for the best that Sedgewhisker and the others had stayed behind.”

Brindlepaw stared at him, shocked. Did he really mean that? She stared at him as he looked at his warriors. He looked pensive. “I believe that Russetstar is hiding something.” Though confused, Brindlepaw continued to treat his wounds. Once she was finished, she left the shade of the Tallrock with Mudstar behind her.

At this point, some cats were out, getting ready for hunting patrols. Featherpelt and Oatclaw were talking, their tails brushing together. Brindlepaw smiled their way. Would they be announcing they were mates soon?

Meanwhile, Smokepaw was out of the medicine den, sunning herself near where the apprentices slept. Beside her was her mentor, Nightcloud, and Ferntail. Ferntail was babbling to Smokepaw, but Smokepaw didn’t seem to be listening. Nightcloud had a scar on her cheek from the battle, and a few scratches down her side.

Brindlepaw watched Mudstar jump up onto the Tallrock. What was he planning? “All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!”

The few warriors who were still in camp glanced at one another before gathering around their leader. Nightcloud stared warily at him, and so did Smokepaw. Brindlepaw begged her sister not to do anything dumb if Mudstar said something she didn’t like.

Mudstar waited for all the warriors to gather. Sedgewhisker stepped out of one of the abandoned fox dens, her eyes narrow as she looked at Mudstar. Furzepelt, who had been washing herself near the medicine den, let out a soft  _ mrrow _ as Sedgewhisker joined her, their pelts brushing against one another.

Kestrelflight slipped out of his den and sat beside his apprentice. His pelt was no longer matted and dull, and he looked much more well-rested than he had in the past few moons.

Crowclaw sat beside his mate, Nightcloud, and murmured something to her. The Clan went silent when Mudstar spoke: “I am going to ThunderClan to speak with Bramblestar and Russetstar.” Surprised murmurs swept over the Clan. Brindlepaw shared a shocked glance with Kestrelflight. After the Gathering a few nights before and the way the meeting with Bramblestar had ended badly the day before, she didn’t think Mudstar would want to see them. “I want Crowclaw and Furzepelt to come with me, and Brindlepaw.”

Brindlepaw’s paws tingled with excitement, though anxiety still washed her pelt. What was Mudstar planning to talk to them about?  _ Does this have something to do with Russetstar hiding something? _

“Why would he want  _ me _ to come and not you?” Brindlepaw whispered to her mentor.

“One of us needs to look after Hootwhisker and Smokepaw,” Kestrelflight answered. “It’d be best if I did it. Plus, it would seem more peaceful if a medicine cat went with him.”

Brindlepaw nodded slowly. That made sense. But after Mudstar was so angry with her, wouldn’t have rather a more loyal medicine cat go with him?

“You can eat before we leave,” Mudstar meowed, nodding to Crowclaw and Furzepelt. Furzepelt looked bemused, whispering to Sedgewhisker. They all watched as Mudstar leapt off the Tallrock and padded out of cam, his tail flicking behind him. The furze that surrounded the camp closed in around him, swallowing him up as he disappeared.

Brindlepaw didn’t feel like eating, but she made her way, distracted, to the fresh-kill pile where Heathertail and Breezepelt still sat. Heathertail blinked at her daughter. “Would you like the rest of my rabbit?” she asked, pushing it toward her.

The brown tabby apprentice shook her head, laying down beside her mother. “I’m not hungry,” she meowed. “What do you think Mudstar is planning?”

Heathertail narrowed her eyes at the entrance of camp. “It can’t be anything good.”

“He’s probably just going to lecture Russetstar,” Breezpelt sniffed. “You saw how angry he got at the Gathering. He’s still upset with her for retreating, plus her warriors helping their former Clanmates during the battle.”

Heathertail rolled her eyes. “So to get back at her for retreating, he retreated as well?” She flexed her claws. “Both Mudstar and Russetstar left the other Clans alone and vulnerable.”

Brindlepaw didn’t reply. She didn’t think that was the reason behind Mudstar wanting to see the leaders.  _ I think it’s more important than that. _

\--------

Brindlepaw padded along the heather dotted moor of WindClan’s territory with Mudstar, Furzepelt, and Crowclaw, nearly at the ThunderClan border. They had met Leaftail, Ferntail, and Gorsetail near one of the tunnels, seeming to plan out another of the bunch. They didn’t even look at the patrol, Gorsetail’s eyes were narrow as she slipped into the tunnel.

Brindlepaw had never spent much time at the ThunderClan border, except at night when she was walking up to the Moonpool. During the day, the stream sparkled in the sunlight, rolling into the lake. Half of Brindlepaw wanted to rush down to the lake and play on the pebble shore, maybe even get her paws a little wet in the process.

But when she saw the ThunderClan patrol at the border, she knew she wouldn’t get that chance. Rosepetal was in the lead, along with Sparkstorm, Blossomfall, Cinderheart, and Leafpaw. The four she-cats saw the WindClan patrol and stopped beside the river. As Mudstar got closer, Rosepetal bristled.

“What do you want?” Rosepetal asked as the WindClan settled near the border.

Mudstar flicked his ear, not even dipping his head to show respect to the ThunderClan warrior. “I’m here to speak with Russetsar,” he meowed. Rosepetal blinked in surprise, sharing a glance with Sparkstorm, who looked just as confused. “It’s important.”

Clearing her throat, Rosepetal nodded to him. “Very well,” she meowed, nodding to Sparkstorm and Blossomfall. “You two can finish the patrol. Cinderheart, Leafpaw, and I can bring them to camp. Pick up our prey for us, alright?” Blossomfall dipped her head to Rosepetal and led Sparkstorm up the stream bank. The cream she-cat flicked her nose toward the forest. “Follow us.”

Brindlepaw bristled when Mudstar padded across the shallow river, followed by Crowclaw and Furzepelt. Shaking away her nerves, the apprentice followed them, shivering when the water reached her belly. The wet pebbles brushed her paws as she waded across the stream. She wasn’t quite as tall as her Clanmates yet, who easily padded through the stream; even Furzepelt, who was smaller than Crowclaw and Mudstar, didn’t have any trouble.

Brindlepaw shook out her pelt when they reached the other side, spraying Leafpaw with water. The tortoiseshell she-cat didn’t seem to mind. She padded through the forest by Brindlepaw’s side, unnerving the WindClan medicine cat. When they were out of earshot of Rosepetal and Mudstar, Leafpaw spoke up. “How’s Smokepaw?” she asked in a quiet tone, her voice cool.

Brindlepaw blinked, surprised by the question. “She’s fine,” she answered. “She has a wound on her shoulder and ear, but other than that she’s uninjured.” She tipped her head. “Why do you ask?”

Leafpaw shuffled her paws, her cool demeanor slipping for a split second. “Jus’ wondering,” she meowed, quickening her pawsteps to catch up with her mentor.

_ Why would she care about Smokepaw? _ Brindlepaw stared after the apprentice for a moment, before shaking out her pelt and following close behind Furzepelt. The gray-and-white she-cat was whispering to Crowclaw, her green eyes narrow. Claustrophobia plagued Brindlepaw as they traveled deeper into the forest. The trees closed in on her; she much preferred the wide open spaces of the moor.

They reached the ThunderClan camp, a stone hollow enclosed by tall rocks. This part of the forest was much more open and rocky, making Brindlepaw feel better. She took a deep breath and shook herself of the enclosed feeling. Rosepetal led them to the entrance of camp, a thorn tunnel. A hunting patrol was just coming home. Toadstep gave the WindClan cats a wary glance, then stared at Rosepetal, flicking his tail. Behind him, his apprentice, Honeypaw, shylylooking at her paws, a mouse in her jaws. The ThunderClan cats entered first, Honeypaw scurrying after her Clanmates.

When they broke through the ThunderClan entrance, Brindlepaw noticed how different their camp was from WindClan’s. They had caves in the side of the walls, kind of like the abandoned fox and badger dens in WindClan camp, covered by brambles; to the side of camp was a big beech tree that seemed to have fallen into camp many moons ago. A warrior, Mousewhisker, padded out from the branches, stretching in the sunlight. Behind him came Stormcloud, who brushed against the gray calico tom, his green eyes sparkling. A few warriors were still in camp, stretched out in the sunhigh light. Near one of the caves sat Larkpaw, who was greeted by Honeypaw. They settled down together, about to dig into a mouse when Larkpaw noticed the WindClan cats.

There was a small crowd forming around Brindlepaw and her Clanmates. She recognized two ShadowClan warriors, Pinenose and Goldenheart, in the crowd, their tails flicking angrily. Brindlepaw glanced at Mudstar. He looked calm, though his eyes narrowed as the crowd got bigger.

“I’ll go get Bramblestar,” Rosepetal meowed, about to push her way through the crowd when a larger cat stopped her.

Brindlepaw had to force herself not to cower when Bramblestar padded through the crowd, Squirrelflight at his side. “There's no need,” he meowed, to Rosepetal. The dark brown tabby stared at Mudstar, before dipping his head to the older leader. “Is this about SkyClan? My family and I will be happy to answer any questions you have.”

“It’s not about them,” Mudstar sniffed. “I’ve come to speak with Russetstar.”

The russet leader stepped out of the crowd behind Pinenose. She gave Mudstar a wary look, but didn't seem to be hostile. “What do you need?” she asked coolly, settling down beside Bramblestar.

Brindlepaw had never seen the ShadowClan leader this close before. She was tall and muscular like a lot of ShadowClan cats, but her pelt wasn’t as sleek, probably thanks to her rogue roots. There were a lot of rumors going around about her: Ferntail used to say she was losing her sanity, Larksoar had said she was just losing control of her warriors. Brindlepaw didn’t know which one was worse. At least she had Rowanclaw to be leader after her if she did go insane.

“Though I think that I should not put my Clan in harm’s way to help ShadowClan, I’d be happy to help ThunderClan and ShadowClan drive out the rogues,” Mudstar began.

Bramblestar brightened, his eyes sparkling with hope. Before he could speak, however, Mudstar continued: “Russetstar only needs to answer one question.” His cool gaze turned sharp with sudden anger. “Why did you refuse to kill Darktail?”

Russetstar seemed taken aback, the fire in her eyes snuffed. There was a flash in her eyes. Brindlepaw stared at her: was that fear flashing in the deep green? Brindlepaw was surprised. Why was she scared?

Then the flame returned and she snarled at Mudstar. “I don’t have to tell you anything,” she hissed.

Mudstar gave her a long, hard stare. “If you don’t I won’t be helping you,” he countered, his ear flicking.

Russetstar growled, unsheathing claws. She looked pensive for a moment. Then she opened his jaws and hope soared through Brindlepaw. Would she explain so that this could all end, and Mudstar would finally help the ShadowClan cats in need?

Then she snapped her jaws shut, and all hope was lost. Mudstar sniffed and turned to Bramblestar. “I was considering helping you and Russetstar if you had another battle planned, but now I don’t think I will.”

“You don’t need to know why I didn’t kill Darktail,” Russetstar hissed. “It’s no cats’ business but mine.”

Mudstar narrowed his eyes ominously. “I think I already know why you didn’t kill him.” Russetstar’s eyes widened with horror. Then Mudstar turned and blinked at the ThunderClan leader, all hostility gone. “ThunderClan is welcome on my territory if need be, but I will be accepting no ShadowClan cats from now on.”

Bramblestar, though confused, dipped his head to the WindClan leader. “Very well.”

“I will not be punishing ThunderClan and RiverClan for Russetfur’s cowardice.” Brindlepaw suppressed a gasp at Mudstar’s use of Russetstar’s former name. The ThunderClan cats looked just as shocked, their eyes narrowing. Pinenose hissed at Mudstar. Furzepelt glared at her, baring her teeth.

“Leave!” Russetstar roared, unsheathing her claws, eyes blazing.

Mudstar dipped his head politely to Bramblestar and Squirrelflight, then flicked his tail to his warriors. Furzepelt and Crowclaw let Mudstar leave the camp first, Brindlepaw close behind him, then closed in behind them as they left the thorn tunnel.

Brindlepaw stared at her paws on the way back to camp, unable to look at Mudstar.  _ What does Mudstar know about Russetstar, _ she wondered,  _ and why was Russetstar so horrified to hear he knows? _


	7. Chapter Five

Rays of pale, greenleaf sunshine slanted through the pine trees of ShadowClan territory. But it was still dark and misty, a usual morning in the pine forest. Needletail took a deep breath through her nose. Somehow, it was different. Her vision was blurry and she thought she saw shadows whipping around out of the corner of her eyes. She shook out her pelt and pressed on.  _ I promised I’d hunt for Rain, _ she told herself, opening her jaws to drink in the scent of the forest.

After the battle, Slit had their paws full. There were many injured cats, but most shook the healer away, saying they didn’t need any help. Slit only sniffed and backed away, not wasting their herbs on a cat who didn’t want them. Needletail had watched as they applied a poultice on Violetpaw’s wounds.

“I’m putting horsetail and dock on them,” Slit had explained to Needletail. “This will help prevent infections and ease the pain.” They had lowered themself over Violetpaw, sniffing at her. “Do you want any poppy seeds?”

Violetpaw took the poppy seeds gratefully and Needletail sat with her for a while, before the Clan was called by Darktail.

“Today, we beat the Clans who tried to drive us away from our home,” Darktail had meowed, a growl in his voice. “They thought they could defeat us; they were  _ wrong. _ You all fought so hard to protect your kin.” He scanned his subjects. “Which is why I have decided on a new name for us: we are not ShadowClan, instead we are the Kin. We are closer than these so-called ‘Clanmates’. We are family.”

Needletail had begun chanting their name along with the cats around her. She caught Rain’s eye, who blinked and smiled at her. Needletail purred.  _ She truly is my Kin. _

The silver she-cat shivered when a cold breeze washed over her fur. The sunlight was fading, it looked like it would start raining. Needletail looked up at the sky, but could barely see past the tall trees. This was strange. She didn’t remember leaving camp. Needletail scanned the forest, doing a double take when she saw familiar, dark ginger fur.

She snarled, unsheathing her claws. “Alderpaw,” she hissed, her ears flattening. “What are you doing on my territory?”

Alderpaw stepped forward, his eyes round. Needletail crouched lower when he got too close, flicking her tail. “It’s good to see you again, Needletail,” he murmured. His voice wasn’t the same: strange, echoing in Needletail’s ear.

“I wish I could say the same to you,” Needletail sniffed.

That made Alderpaw smile. “I know you miss me,” he meowed, padding closer to her. “And I miss you too. A lot.”

“What do you want?” Needletail eyed him warily. What was he planning? “What are you doing here?”

Alderpaw’s smile faded and he sighed, looking at his paws. “I’m sorry if you feel like I left you,” he began, making Needletail snort. “But I wasn’t lying when I said I miss you. I miss you and Violetpaw so much. I never meant to abandon you, or hurt you.” His eyes were glassing with tears and his voice shook as he spoke. Needletail’s heart started aching. “Come to me, in ThunderClan. Bring Violetpaw with you. We could be happy and safe.”

Needletail hissed. “You didn’t join me with the Kin when I asked you to,” she growled. “Why should I join you now?”

“Those cats are not your kin,” Alderpaw told her, his voice firm.

“You don’t know that.” Needletail stiffened, her skin crawling with anger. She dug her claws into the earth.

“ _ I’m _ your kin.” Alderpaw stepped forward, their noses almost brushing. “Don’t you remember how close we were on the quest?”

“No.” Needletail glared at him, baring her teeth.

“You were like my sister—”

“No!” Needletail screeched and reared up, pushing him down to the ground. Her teeth sank in around his throat, making him yowl in pain. One of her claws dug into his stomach, warm blood welling up on her paw. “You are  _ not  _ my kin.” She hissed through his fur.

Alderpaw stared up at her with scared, wide eyes. Needletail dug her claws and teeth deeper. Alderpaw jerked, choking on his own blood. Then he went limp.

Needletail was shaken awake.

She flailed her paws, claws unsheathed.

“Hey, watch it!” Sparrowtail hissed, smacking her paw away from him. “You were shredding your nest. What’s wrong with you?”

Needletail whipped her head around, looking for something. It was bright outside. Much brighter than it had been in her dream. She took deep breaths to calm herself. Then she glared at Sparrowtail. “Sorry,” she snapped, getting to her paws and brushing past him. “I’m going for a walk.”

“Needletail!” Sparrowtail called after her. “Stop, I wanted to talk to you!”

Needletail’s ear flicked as she pushed her way out of the bramble tunnel of camp. She stretched, perking her ears to listen to birdsong. It was a warm morning. Dew still clung to the grass and pine needles. Needletail brushed against one of the trees, sighing as spiky bark brushed against her skin.

In the canopy of pine trees, birds flitted around the tree branches, chirping to one another with their sing-songy calls. She could hear chicks twittering in their nests, calling for their mother. She shook out her pelt of the bark.

The teeth mark wounds around her throat stung as she moved. The herbs Slit had put on them helped, but they said that they might still be painful for quite a few days. They seemed to be right. She remembered Sparkstorm attacking her during the battle. Anger rose up inside her. Sparkstorm seemed to have completely forgotten the close bond they had had on the quest.

Needletail didn’t forget.

Her stomach churned as she thought of the flame-colored warrior. Growling, she unsheathed her claws and slashed the tree, leaving deep claw marks behind. Her heart pounding, Needletail took deep breaths again, her tail lashing against the pine needles that covered the earth. She huffed and sat down heavily, sheathing her claws.

“Needletail!”

Rain’s sudden mew made Needletail jump, whipping around to her mate. Rain padded over to her, putting down the squirrel she had in her jaws, pressing against Needletail. Needletail drank in Rain’s scent, the warmth of the long-haired she-cat making her relax.

“What’s eating you?” Rain asked, licking her ear. “You seem upset.”

Needletail glanced at her mate, wondering if she should tell her about Sparkstorm. She pulled away from Rain and began walking in the direction of the lake. “I just had a nightmare, that’s all,” she murmured. She broke out into a purr when Rain quickened her step to press against Needletail and nuzzle her.

Rain licked her ear, pressing her nose against the silver cat’s head. They stood like that for a while, and Needletail felt safe. Alderpaw was wrong. Rain was  _ truly  _ her kin.

Needletail glanced up at Rain, frowning when she saw the disfigured eye, surrounded by scarred flesh. She licked under the scarred skin, making Rain purr. “What are you doing?”

“It’s so unfair,” Needletail meowed, pressing her nose to Rain’s cheek. “You didn’t deserve to be scarred like that. I wish I had protected you. Then you’d have both your pretty eyes.”

Rain’s eyes  _ were _ pretty. Not bold green, like Needletail’s, but a deeper forest green. Almost like an oak leaf that was about to turn completely orange thanks to leaffall.

“I don’t mind,” Rain told her, puffing out her chest. “I look tough, don’t I?”

“I still don’t like it.”

Rain laughed and nudged her. Needletail caught her good eye, tilting her head when she saw worry sparkling in it. “Are you okay?” she asked, pressing her paw to Rain’s chest.

“Listen, Needletail, I have to talk to you about something.” Rain sat down, her tail twitching.

Concern for her mate filled Needletail. She had been acting strange lately, watching Darktail closely. She had been like this since she lost her eye, not speaking up against their leader as much. Needletail remembered the pensive look on Rain’s face when Darktail decided it was time to take over ShadowClan camp. The bold she-cat Needletail had grown to love seemed to disappear.

“I’ve been thinking a lot,” Rain began, hanging her head, “and I think it’s time I told you. “Needletail, I—”

She was cut off by rustling in the bushes beside them. Needletail growled and unsheathed her claws when cat scent washed over her. Then four cats padded out: Pepper, Birchbark, Slateclaw, and Sparrowtail.

Needletail didn’t relax when she saw her father, stepping behind Rain and digging her claws into the earth. “You two should be hunting,” Sparrowtail meowed, his gaze flicking from Rain to his daughter.

Needletail flicked her tail, glaring at her father. “I can do what I like,” she sniffed, lifting her head.

Sparrowtail met her gaze, his eyes narrow. “Darktail wouldn’t like it if you said that to  _ him _ ,” he growled.

“You’re not Darktail,” Needletail reminded him, her meow edged with a hiss. “Darktail didn’t tell me to go on a hunting patrol, so I decided to take a walk. Rain just joined me.”

Sparrowtail huffed and rolled his eyes. “Fine, do whatever you want.” He turned away from her, signalling for his patrol to follow him.

Slateclaw and Birchbark gave Needletail sideways stares as she glared at her father, before scurrying after him when she snarled at them. “ _ What’s up with her? _ ” Birchbark signed to his brother. Slateclaw shrugged as an answer.

“Mousebrains,” Rain sighed. “Come on. Let’s take that walk.”

Needletail didn’t respond, watching her father disappear into the forest. She remembered her lonely days in the nursery, when Sparrowtail barely visited her, and when she returned from the quest and no cat, not even her mother and father, greeted her like Squirrelflight had greeted Alderheart.

Tail lashing, Needletail turned away from her father.  _ He’ll be taken care of, _ she told herself.  _ I’ll make sure of that. _


	8. Chapter Six

The wind rustled the leaves on the branches overhead while SkyClan bustled about their makeshift camp. Fallowfern and Rabbitleap were clearing the camp of brambles and twigs, though there was no point since they weren’t staying there long, and Solbrook and Honeytail were practicing battle moves with their apprentices.

The two apprentices and their brother, Dewpaw, were quite the pawful, always rushing around camp, play-fighting as if they were still kits. Still, Firefern knew her mother chose well when she gave them to Honeytail and Solbrook. Both warriors were levelheaded, never losing their temper. Honeytail was worried to have an apprentice so soon after Twinepaw became one, but she grew to love Reedpaw, and Reedpaw and Twinepaw became close as well.

“Keep your tail in, Reedpaw!” Honeytail called. “You don’t want Finpaw to be able to grab you there.”

The ginger tabby apprentice nodded and tucked her tail to her side, leaping at her brother and rolling in the dirt, pinning him to the ground. “Excellent!” Honeytail called, her tail whipping, Reedpaw lifted her head, her eyes shining as she got off Finpaw.

“Get some rest,” Solbrook told them, “you’ve earned it.”

Reedpaw and Finpaw hurried off toward Hawkwing and Plumwillow. Their green eyes were wide as they sat beside their parents.

Firefern watched the apprentices, her eyes shining. She remembered the days when she was an apprentice with Solbrook and Stormheart. Her mentor, Cherrytail, had been kind to her. Solbrook was mentored by Blackfire, Macgyver then, and poor Stormheart had been stuck with the strict Sandynose. Firefern remembered when they tried to sneak out to catch prey during the leafbare, and Sandynose caught them at the top of the gorge, furious with the apprentices. Firefern swore Stormpaw almost lost an ear that day.

Speaking of the pale ginger tabby, he was sitting beside Bloomwhisker, Hawkwing’s sister. “Sandynose!” Firefern called him over, flicking her tail to him. “Come here for a moment, you too, Bloomwhisker.”

They shared a glance, then got to their paws and shook themselves. “I need you two to begin making nests for the others,” Firefern meowed. “I sent Twinepaw and Blackfire to collect the moss, all you two have to do is put them together.”

“Are we staying the night?” Bloomwhisker asked, her calico pelt bristling a little. Firefern could see the trace of fear in her eyes, and understood why she’d be upset. They’d been sleeping in unfamiliar territories for moons now. A lot of cats were losing hope.

“Just for one night,” Firefern told her. “Leafstar says we’re going to travel a lot further tomorrow.” She nodded to them. “I’ll ask some other warriors to help you in a bit, I just want to send out a hunting patrol.”

Sandynose and Bloomwhisker dipped their heads to the deputy before padding toward where Blackfire and Twinepaw were still adding bracken and moss to the pile. Twinepaw had a feather in his mouth. He set it down on the pile, smiling at Blackfire when the black-and-white warrior praised him.

Firefern leapt back when ginger pelts flashed past her, nearly bowling her over. “Watch where you’re rolling!” she snapped to Reedpaw and Finpaw. “You nearly knocked me over.”

The two apprentices puffed out their chests. “We’re practicing!” Finpaw told her, sticking his nose in the air.

“Yes! In case Darktail finds us again.” Reedpaw bounced to her paws, her claws unsheathing.

The rogue cat’s name sent chills down Firefern’s spine. “Darktail won’t find us again,” she hissed, her ears flattening. “There’s no need to worry about him.”

“But—”

Firefern cut Reedpaw off. “Enough. Stop getting under everyone’s paws.”

“Oh, don’t be so hard on them,” Hawkwing meowed from behind Firefern. He was laying beside one of his mates, Plumwillow, grooming his paws. “You’re only an apprentice once, let them have some fun.”

Firefern sniffed, watching the apprentices scuttle off to their father. “Just stop running around. Please.”

“Firefern.” The ginger deputy turned to see Leafstar standing on the other side of the makeshift camp. She flicked her tail to her, beckoning for her daughter to come over. Firefern joined her mother, who glanced around to make sure no other warriors were in earshot. “I’m worried. I feel we’ve made no progress since Echosong . . .” She trailed off, pain flashing in her amber eyes. “I don’t think we’ve made any progress since we left her. I know we must follow the blood trail, but we can’t keep walking forever. We may never reach the lake.”

“Don’t think like that,” Firefern meowed, pressing against her mother. “We still have time to find the other Clans.”

They went silent. “And what if Darktail finds us?” Leafstar asked. She lifted her head, her eyes narrow.

“That won’t happen, we’re much too far for him to track us down.”

Leafstar sighed. “I’m glad you, Stormheart, and Solbrook are here,” she meowed, her eyes shining once more.

Firefern smiled. “We’ll always be here for you,” she promised, nuzzling the cream leader.

Leafstar licked Firefern’s shoulder before stepping away, blinking at her daughter. “Are the nests ready yet?”

“Not quite,” Firefern meowed. “Bloomwhisker and Sandynose are setting them up now.”

“I need you to get a hunting patrol together. We didn’t have time to hunt together.”

“I was just about to. Get some rest,” she told her mother, dipping her head to the tortoiseshell leader.

She slipped away from her mother and scanned the hollow. Most of the warriors were lazing around by now. There was no fresh-kill pile yet, and the sun was just about to set. “Plumwillow, Honeytail, and Reedpaw.” The three cats stood as she called their names. “I need you three to go hunting.”

Across the way, Blackfire stood and stretched. “Dewpaw and I can come as well,” he mewed. Dewpaw lifted his head, his eyes wide, from where he sat with Hawkwing. “Come on, Dew. I’ve let you lay around all day.”

Dewpaw nodded and said goodbye to Finpaw and Hawkwing. He joined his mentor and the other warriors as they left the hollow. “Be back by sunset!” Firefern called after them.

Firefern sat down. There was nothing else to do today. Bloomwhisker and Sandynose were now accompanied by Rabbitleap; they were nearly finished with the nests. Firefern was ready to collapse into one of them and sleep the night away.

Pale orange fur caught her eye. Bellaleaf slipped into camp, a rabbit in her jaws. Firefern’s ears perked and she smiled, calling the she-cat over. “Hey!” she meowed as her mate stood in front of her, a purr rumbling in her throat. “I never told you to go hunting.”

“I wanted to bring Fallowfern something to eat,” Bellaleaf explained, heading over to where the deaf warrior sat, signing to her with her paws. Fallowfern dipped her head and thanked her, her eyes shining. “We only have a scrawny sparrow left on the pile, so I thought I’d get her something fresh.”

Firefern’s stomach growled and she eyed the sparrow. “I’d be willing to eat it,” she meowed. “I just sent out a hunting patrol, hopefully every cat gets something to eat.”

Bellaleaf nodded and grabbed the sparrow, setting it in front of the deputy and pressing their noses together. Firefern felt as if something was strained between them, though she tried to hide it. It had been a few moons since Bellaleaf had two stillborn kits, and, though Bellaleaf was upset, Firefern was sort of glad they had no kits yet. Bellaleaf was still young, Firefern was deputy, and the kits would have to endure journeying everyday. Firefern never shared these feelings, of course, she couldn’t. How would Bellaleaf feel if Firefern told her she was glad the kits hadn’t been born alive?

Firefern bit into the sparrow. It was stringy, but otherwise it tasted fine. “I need to speak with you,” Bellaleaf meowed as she swallowed. “Alone.”

Anxiety swelled up inside Firefern and the sparrow turned dry in her mouth. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Bellaleaf assured her, though there was a spark of worry in her eyes. “I just need to talk to you about something.”

Firefern nodded, her stomach churning. “We can talk once the hunting patrols come home. I’d like to see how much prey they’ve caught.” She forced the rest of the sparrow down, though her appetite left her. The sun was at the horizon now, bright orange, shining its pale light onto the clouds and trees.

Her ears perked when she heard coughing. It was coming from Rabbitleap, who was backing away from the nest he was working on. The deputy leapt to her paws, her eyes rounding. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Rabbitleap assured her, coughing again. “I just haven’t been feeling well.”

Firefern shared a nervous glance with Bellaleaf. A moon had passed since a sickness took over SkyClan, nearly taking many lives before Echosong had found them and treated them with a strange sap. It had nearly killed Firefern herself.

“Get some rest,” Firefern ordered him. “You’ve been working for a while now, you can sleep in one of the nests.”

Rabbitleap nodded and left Bloomwhisker and Sandynose, laying in one of the nests and curling his tail over his nose. Bellaleaf watched him with wide, worried eyes. Her brother, Rileypool, had been taken by the illness and she was still grieving the loss of him. In fact, the whole  _ Clan _ was grieving. The sickness had taken Rileypool, Waspwhisker, the deputy before Firefern, and one of Leafstar’s lives. If it weren’t for Echosong’s return, who knows what might have happened.

Firefern kept a close eye on Rabbitleap as the brown tom slept, snoring ever so slightly, her ears perking when the hunting patrol returned. Reedpaw and Dewpaw entered the hollow first, squirrels hanging in each of their jaws. The red-and-white deputy rushed over to them, her eyes shining as Plumwillow, Blackfire, and Honeytail joined the apprentices with an abundance of prey.

“Excellent job!” she praised the cats.

“It was Reedpaw's first squirrel,” Plumwillow meowed, her chest puffing out as her daughter lifted her head.

“We have a bit more to gather,” Honeytail meowed, dropping her shrew and pigeon at Firefern’s feet.

“I’ll bring these to the pile, you go get the rest.” Firefern picked up her prey and brought it to the pile in the middle of the temporary camp. Blackfire and Honeytail headed back out as Plumwillow, Reedpaw, and Dewpaw dropped their catches off. “Keep your squirrels,” Firefern told the apprentices. “We have enough to feed the whole Clan.”

Dewpaw dipped his head to the deputy and Reedpaw leapt to her paws. “Thank you, Firefern!” the apprentices called as they snatched their catches and rushed over to where Hawkwing sat. Finpaw's ears perked when he saw the catches and he stared at them with wide eyes while Dewpaw and Reedpaw basked in their father’s praises.

Plumwillow blinked. “Eat something,” she told the deputy, her eyes rounding with worry. “I’ve noticed you haven’t been taking much from the fresh-kill pile lately. We need a strong deputy to guide us, after what happened with Waspwhisker.”

A slash of sorrow cut through Firefern at the past deputy’s name, but she forced a smile. “I’ve already eaten,” she assured her. “Enjoy your meal with your family.”

With one last worried glance, the gray warrior bounded over to Hawkwing, nuzzling him, her fluffy tail whisking. Sandynose, who had finished the last of the nests, got up from where he was resting and sat beside his mates and kits, grooming Hawkwing’s fur.

Firefern smiled at the apprentices snuggled close to their parents and took bites from their squirrels. Her heart ached as she remembered sitting with Leafstar, Billystorm, Echosong, and her siblings after hunting patrols returned, enjoying their meals together. They continued to do it every now and then, but now that they were on the run, they didn’t have much time to do so anymore.

_ One day I’ll do that with my own kits, _ she thought . It seemed so far away, but someday it would happen. Her and Bellaleaf would be happy as mothers to their kittens, after they found their way to the lake. _ I hope. _

She flopped back over beside Bellaleaf and began grooming her mate’s fur. She couldn’t wait to lay in their nest together and finally be finished with this long day.

“Can we go on that walk now?” Bellaleaf asked, nudging the deputy.

“Oh, yes, of course.” Firefern stood back up, stretching. The day was over for most of the warriors. They were sharing tongue and eating, some laying in their nests and chattering.

Firefern led Bellaleaf out of the camp, which was simply a dip in the earth, covered by a canopy by trees. They’d be sleeping outside of dens tonight; it had been a while since StarClan was kind enough to give them natural dens.

They walked together for a while; the stars were beginning to show in the sky as the sun set in front of them. The trees stretched up around them. They were a mix of oaks and alders, all mingled together. Firefern stopped when a tall oak came into view, taller than most of the others.

“Firefern—”

Cutting her off, the red-and-white deputy put her front paws on the bark of the oak tree, digging her claws in. “I’ll race you to the top,” she called, already leaping to the first branch, her strong back legs able to get her there quickly.

She turned back to see Bellaleaf’s bemused stare. Then she laughed and jumped up, digging her claws in and scrambling up to reach her mate. The young cat panted as she dragged herself onto the branch.

“How did you become a SkyClan warrior if you can barely climb trees?” Firefern teased, licking her mate’s ear.

Bellaleaf huffed, but didn’t answer, her chest heaving. Firefern flicked the she-cat’s cheek with her tail. “You ready for the next branch?” She glanced up, scanning the tree. It was a bit higher, but Firefern knew she could make it.

Bellaleaf nodded and let FIrefern lead her up to the next one, then the next, until they reached the last branch they could stand on. They could see past this forest, onto a moor, then the horizon, where the sun was still setting. The air was still warm, newleaf was being kind to them.

“Prey was so plentiful here,” Firefern meowed, glancing at the earth below them. The hunting patrol were able to catch more prey than they had at the gorge in moons.

“We haven’t come across any other cats,” Bellaleaf meowed. “Or it could just be greenleaf gracing us with lots of prey. Maybe StarClan sent us here for a reason, so we could rest and get prey.”

Firefern squirmed in her pelt. Was StarClan still watching over them, even now? She thought of the spirit she saw when Echosong was dying, a dark ginger ghost, and she shivered. Was that a StarClan cat, or a lone spirit, perhaps once part of SkyClan?

This was the best patch of land they’ve settled on since they started journeying. Maybe this is the place they should stay in.  _ Maybe StarClan brought us here for a reason. _

“I’ve been meaning to speak with you about this for a while,” Bellaleaf began, snapping Firefern out of her thoughts. “I know I—”

They both jolted when a scream pierced the air. Firefern thought it might be a cat at first, but it was too shrill, not like any cat scream she’d heard before. Then she stiffened. She knew this screech. “ _ Fox _ .”


	9. Chapter Seven

Violetpaw grimaced at the reek of mousebile as she dabbed the scrap of soaked moss on one of Ratscar’s ticks. The ShadowClan elder let out a sigh of relief as the tick dropped off.

“That’s better, youngster,” he meowed. “I only wish we could put everything right in ShadowClan as easily as we deal with these pesky ticks. Nothing is the same as it used to be. With Russetstar gone, no cat treats elders with respect.”

“Darktail says we’re not ShadowClan anymore,” Violetpaw responded grimly. “He says we’re the Kin now.”

“I’ll be ShadowClan until I die,” Ratscar declared with an angry twitch of his ears; alarmed, Violetpaw glanced around to make sure none of the rogues were listening. “Loyalty is important; that’s what some of you young cats don’t understand.”

“That’s true.” Violetpaw was surprised when a Kin elder, Shade, agreed. She paused for a moment, scratching furiously behind one ear with her hind paw, then added, “I can’t imagine what it’s been like, with your whole world changing so quickly like this. That she-cat, Dawnpelt, just had kits, didn’t she? I wonder what sort of world they’ll grow up in.

Violetpaw flinched. She worried about Skunkkit, Stalkkit, and Magpiekit so much, and as she watched the sly Sleekwhisker get closer to them, she couldn’t help but worry more. She hoped they didn’t end up like her and Twigpaw. She shuddered at the thought of the battle.  _ I nearly attacked my own sister!  _ she thought, worried that her sister had gotten seriously hurt when she twisted her paw on the gnarled root.  _ Would I actually have struck her while she was injured? _ She couldn’t answer that question, and felt wretched.  _ Ratscar must be right: young cats like me don’t understand loyalty. _

There was a flurry of pawsteps, and the bramble tendrils that overhung the elders’ den waved wildly as Needletail barged inside.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” she meowed to Violetpaw, ignoring the two old cats. “Why are you messing around with that gross mousebile and ticks? You should come with me and have something to eat.”

“Dawnpelt told me to come and help the elders,” Violetpaw explained, dropping the twig with the bile-soaked moss.

Needletail flicked her tail dismissively. “Dawnpelt isn’t your mentor anymore,” she pointed out. “Not after she gave birth. Darktail and Sleekwhisker are right anyway—the elders need to start looking after themselves. We don’t have room for cats who don’t contribute.”

_ Does that mean that the Kin doesn’t have room for Dawnpelt’s kits either? _ Violetpaw felt sick at the thought of Darktail throwing out Skunkkit, Magpiekit, and Stalkkit just because Sleekwhisker didn’t like them.  _ Their own sister . . . _ She shuddered. At least her and Twigpaw weren’t like  _ that _ .

Ratscar fixed Needletail with a glare. “There was a time ShadowClan didn’t have room for rude little flea-pelts,” he rasped.

“ _ I’m  _ not the one who has fleas,” Needletail sneered. “Are you coming, Violet?”

Violetpaw cast a guilty look at the elders. “Okay,” she mewed.

“Hey, you haven’t finished!” Ratscar protested. “There’s a huge tick right down my back next to my tail! I can feel it!”

Violetpaw would rather have stayed to help, but Needletail was waiting for her, her tail-tip giving an impatient twitch. She seemed even more upset than usual; Violetpaw didn’t want to make her more angry.

“Sorry,” Violetpaw whispered, and followed her friend out into the camp.

Needletail led the way to the fresh-kill pile, where Thistle, a muscular gray she-cat, was sniffing around the edge, taking her time to choose. Needletail picked out a blackbird for herself. Violetpaw spotted a plump vole and whisked it away; her jaws watered as she crouched beside Needletail to eat it.  _ I’ll bring Dawnpelt and the kits prey as soon as I can _ . The kits weren’t old enough to eat whole pieces of prey just yet, but they were able to share a small mouse.

Before she had taken more than a mouthful, Thistle bounded toward them. Violetpaw eyed her warily. She didn’t know her very well, and she and some other rogues had only recently arrived. She couldn’t help but wonder how many more cats Darktail would welcome into camp as “Kin”.

Thistle padded up and halted beside Violetpaw, her cold blue eyes fixed on her succulent piece of prey. “That was  _ mine _ ,” she snarled, obviously expecting Violetpaw to step back and let him take it. “I saw it first.” She took a pace forward, looming over Violetpaw.

Violetpaw would have given her the vole to avoid a fight, but before she could move, Needletail broke in.

“Hey, back off, mange-fur!” she challenged Thistle, baring her teeth and letting out a furious hiss. “Prey is not yours until you take it.”

“Okay, okay,” Thistle meowed. “Keep your fur on.” With a furious glare, she headed back to the fresh-kill and started pawing over the prey again.

“Thanks, Needletail,” Violetpaw murmured. “I wish there weren’t so many rogues in camp these days. Some of them look kind of scary.” She thought about Sap, an aggressive ginger tabby with sharp claws. She saw them rip some fur off Maxie, a kind she-cat who joined saying she was looking for someone. Maxie was nice enough, almost like Ember, whom Violetpaw had heard of from Needletail’s stories of the quest.

“Huh!” Needletail snorted around a mouthful of blackbird. “They’re all growl and no claws, if you ask me. But you don’t need to worry, Violetpaw. I’ll look out for you.” She tore off another mouthful, swallowed, and then added thoughtfully, “Mind you, Rain is suspicious of these new rogues, just like you.”

Violetpaw wasn’t sure what to make of that. When Needletail first brought her to Darktail’s camp, Rain was welcoming of her mate’s best friend. But after she was half blinded, she always seemed to have a close eye on Clan cats, especially Violetpaw. Sometimes, Violetpaw would see Rain staring at her; she couldn’t tell what she was thinking. 

She gulped down her vole, casting sidelong glances at Needletail as she did so.

“Have you got something on your mind?” Needletail asked. “Spit it out.”

Violetpaw hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. “I can’t stop thinking about Twigpaw,” she confided shyly. “I feel responsible for making her twist her leg on that root, she was trying to get  _ away _ from me and she hurt herself. What if . . .” Under Needletail’s intent gaze, she found words for her greatest fear. “What if I’ve crippled my sister?”

Needletail touched her nose reassuringly to Violetpaw’s ear. “Twigpaw’s not gonna be crippled,” she promised. “ThunderClan has, like, three medicine cats right now. She’ll be fine. Besides, you  _ had _ to attack her, Violet. As I said earlier, they attacked first. The Clan cats are our enemies now. And that includes Twigpaw.”

Violetpaw listened, knowing that what her friend was saying made sense, but was still unable to shake off her feeling that something was terribly wrong.  _ How can my sister be my enemy? _ She thought of Sleekwhisker, Juniperfang, and their little siblings.  _ Are Twigpaw and I going to end up like  _ them _? _

“I’m a little disappointed in you that you didn’t lay a claw on her,” Needletail went on, “but I understand. You need to forget about Twigpaw.  _ We’re _ your kin now—me and the rest of the cats here. We’re the one who care about you.”

“I’m going to take a mouse to Slit,” Violetpaw announced when she had finished her prey. “He’s working so hard, looking after the injured warriors.” Violetpaw liked Slit. He had a strange name, but she enjoyed his company. He reminded her a bit of Puddleshine, in fact. She missed her brother with an ache.

“Good idea,” Needletail meowed. “I’ll come with you. I want to see how Darktail’s doing.”

Violetpaw tidied up the fresh-kill pile, which Thistle had left scattered, and found a juicy-looking mouse for Slit. Needletail padded beside her as she carried it to the medicine den.

Slit’s den lay in the farthest corner of the camp, where the bushes and bramble tendrils didn’t cluster so thickly. But there was a sheltered space under a slanting rock, the ground thickly covered in moss and bracken, where Slit and any injured cats could sleep.

Violetpaw stopped when she saw Rain outside the medicine den. She was staring into the den, her eyes narrow. Violetpaw stared at her. Rain caught her gaze, and her one eye rounded, as if she was feeling guilty about something. As she walked past her, Rain turned away.

When Violetpaw and Needletail entered by a tunnel through the brambles, the only cat there apart from Slit was Darktail. He lay stretched out on his bedding, his chest heaving with each breath. Violetpaw had heard how badly Russetstar had injured him in the battles; now she could see the pain in his slitted eyes. Needletail added over and sat beside him; he could barely raise his head to visit her.

“Slit, I brought you this,” Violetpaw mewed as she set the mouse down in front of the healer.

Slit fixed the mouse with a hungry gaze. Underneath his thin pelt, Violetpaw could see his ribs. He was a small cat, but now he looked even smaller. Then he glanced at Darktail, as if asking for permission to eat it. Darktail didn’t move. Slit took a deep breath then smiled at the apprentice. “Thank you, Violetpaw.” He crouched and began to gulp down the mouse with ravenous bites.

“Violetpaw,” he began a moment later, around a mouthful of prey, “could you chew up some of that coltsfoot for me? It should help Darktail with his breathing.” He pointed one paw to the small heap of coltsfoot flowers at the foot of the rock.

“Sure.” Violetpaw padded over to the coltsfoot and began chewing some of the flowers into a pulp; they had a sharp, quite pleasant taste.

“Not too fine,” Slit meowed, joining her a moment later, swiping his tongue around his jaws as he swallowed the last bite of mouse. “Now let’s give it to Darktail.”

The rogue leader managed to raise himself and lick up the pulp, then sank back into his bedding with a grunt. “That mange-pelt Russetstar really hurt me,” he growled. “She’s a far fiercer fighter than I expected from our last fight.”

He took a few deep breaths, seeming to find it easier after the coltsfoot and turned his head to give Violetpaw a long stare. Her paws prickled with apprehension.  _ What does Darktail think of me now? _

“You fought well in the battle, not that I thought you wouldn’t,” the rogue leader mewed at last, his eyes sparkling. “You’re a credit to the Kin here.”

Relief that he wasn’t upset in any way flooded over Violetpaw. Her pelt warmed at her leader’s praise, even though she felt that she didn’t deserve it. Darktail seemed to want to have a special bond with her; she wondered why. He always stared at her eyes, deeply, in a way that made her unnerved.

“Violetpaw’s worried about wounding her littermate,” Needletail put in.

Violetpaw’s nervousness returned, an even sharper prickling. She wished Needletail hadn’t mentioned that.  _ What if Darktail gets angry now? _

But Darktail gave her an understanding nod. “I understand what it’s like having to choose between your littermate and your new Kin,” he told Violetpaw. “I’m proud of you for making the right choice.”

Violetpaw dipped her head, flattered.  _ Maybe Darktail’s not so scary after all. _ She felt her guilt over Twigpaw ease a little.  _ Twigpaw and I were born together, but these cats have chosen me to be their Kin. Maybe Darktail and Needletail are right: I chose to fight for the cats who are important to me. _

“Dawnpelt stepped down as Violetpaw’s mentor after she gave birth,” Needletail spoke up again. “I was wondering if you had any other cat in mind to train her.”

“I would train her,” Darktail began, making Violetpaw stiffen. “But I’m afraid I can’t with this injury.” She relaxed. “I’ll give that responsibility to you, Needletail. I trust you, and I’m sure Violetpaw trusts you enough as well to make that decision.”

Needletail brightened. “I have just the cat in mind.” She gave Violetpaw a look, her eyes sparkling. “I can talk to her right away.” Curiosity made Violetpaw prick her ears.

But before she could ask who Needletail had in mind, a rustling sound came from the tunnel through the brambles, and Rain pushed her way into the den. Violetpaw noticed that her injured eye was almost healed. Slit said she’d never see out of that eye again, and Violetpaw felt some forms of pity toward Rain. “Greetings, Darktail,” the gray she-cat mewed, with a nod to her leader. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Darktail replied, getting comfortable in his nest. “I’m glad you came; there are some things I need to discuss with you. What did you think about the way Grassheart fought in the battle?”

Rain shrugged. “Well, I’ve seen fiercer cats,” she responded.

Darktail’s tone sharped. “Do you think she’s a traitor?”

Rain hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I think she could just do with a bit of extra training. I’ve been noticing a few other cats, however . . .” She glanced at Violetpaw. “Dawnpelt needs watching, I think.”

“You think so?”

Violetpaw stared at Rain, surprised. Did she really think a queen with nearly a moon and a half kits would rebel against Darktail? Then her pelt prickled.  _ Do they ever talk about me like that? _ she wondered.

Needletail began to creep out of the den, but Rain caught her eye. “Needletail,” she began, her green eyes wide. She sounded almost desperate to talk to her mate. Needletail turned toward her mate, but the gray she-cat hesitated. “I love you.”

Needletail looked surprised, then she laughed, flicking her tail across Rain’s muzzle. “I love you too, toadbrain,” she purred. “You’re such a dove, you know that?” She touched noses with Rain, before leaving the den.

Violetpaw lingered a bit longer, easing herself into the shadows. Rain and Darktail were still talking. Though she didn’t like what she was hearing, she was pleased to see how well the two cats were getting along. Violetpaw stared at the she-cat in confusion. She never showed much affection toward Needletail in camp, especially not right in front of Darktail.

_ It hasn’t been that long since Rain challenged Darktail for the leadership and Darktail half-blinded her, _ she reflected. She felt warm and comforted at the thought that the larger group of cats—the ones Darktail started to call their Kin—was more important to them than their rivalry.

Darktail’s comments and replies to Rain grew shorter as the wounded leader grew, tired, and eventually he settled down to sleep.

“I ought to go and check on some of the other injured cats,” Slit meowed when he was settled, “but I don’t want to leave Darktail alone.” He was turning to Violetpaw, as if he was about to ask her to stay, and Violetpaw would have been happy to offer, but Rain forestalled them before either of them could speak.

“Don’t worry, Slit,” Rain meowed to her Kin. She blinked at the cream cat. “I’ll stay until you come back.”

Slit blinked, as if surprised by the she-cat. But he didn’t say anything. “Thank you, Rain.” Slit gathered a few herbs and went out, his tail swishing behind him as he disappeared.

Violetpaw followed him and wandered around the camp for a while, wondering if she ought to go back and finish off the elders’ ticks. But she knew she would only get another lecture about how worthless the young cats of today were, compared with Ratscar, Oakfur, and Kinkfur when they were young.

Instead, she visited Dawnpelt in the nursery. The kits were happy to see her, bundling around her paws and playing with her fluffy tail. Around camp, some cats were sharing tongues and eating together. Grassheart and Wasptail were curled up together, Grassheart licking her mate’s ear. Snakepaw, Whorlpaw, and Flowerpaw were play-fighting near them. Whorlpaw stumbled and rolled, bumping into Sparrowtail's leg. Sparrowtail whipped around to hiss, then relaxed when he recognized his apprentice, sending him off.

Sparrowtail was sitting with Cloverfoot and Mistcloud, his head low as he spoke with his Clanmates. Violetpaw couldn’t hear them from here, but the way that their eyes were narrow, their tails flicking as they looked around, sent shivers down her spine.

Beenose was sitting with Pepper and Yarrowleaf, the ginger she-cat babbling about hunting. Beenose listened to her sister, her head on her paws as she dozed. Pepper groomed the black-and-white she-cat fluffy pelt, her tail wrapped around her.

Eventually, Dawnpelt stretched and wrapped her tail around her kittens. “I’m going to take a nap,” she meowed. She smiled, giving a playful roll of her eyes. “I forgot how tiring kits are.”

“But mama!” Magpiekit cried, his eyes wide. “I’m not tired.”

“Me either,” Skunkkit mewled, batting at her mother’s tail. Stalkkit nodded in agreement.

“Why don’t you go find Strikestone?” Violetpaw asked, licking at a tuft on Stalkkit’s head, which only stuck back up stubbornly.

The three kits squealed in excitement and rushed away to find their brother, sniffing around for him and poking around the warriors’ den. “Spikefur’s not gonna like that,” Dawnpelt sighed, shaking her head. “Strikestone will take care of it, I suppose.” She pressed her nose again Violetpaw’s, then slunk into the nursery to rest.

Violetpaw looked toward the medicine den. She wondered if Darktail had eaten that day. She trotted over to the fresh-kill pile and sniffed around. Juniperfang was already there. He sneered at Violetpaw and snatched up a fat pigeon, padding heavily toward Sleekwhisker and flopping over next to his sister. Violetpaw sniffed at him.  _ Flea-brain. _ She decided on a piece of prey for her leader so he could have it when he woke up. _ He’s pretty badly hurt, and he was really kind to me about how I fought in the battle. He ought to eat well so he can build his strength while he’s recovering. _

She took the plump shrew toward the medicine den. She spotted Slit on the far side of camp, making Snowbird stretch out her leg to show how her injured shoulder was healing. Carrying the prey in her jaws, she headed toward the medicine den.

But when she emerged from the bramble tunnel, she halted in shock, letting the shrew drop from her gaping jaws. Rain was lying on top of Darktail, her paws over the rogue leader’s nose and mouth. Darktail was struggling feebly and making a terrible choking noise.

Violetpaw stifled a gasp of horror, realizing that Rain was trying to cut off Darktail’s air and kill him.  _ She hasn’t forgiven Darktail at all! _

Frozen by the sight in front of her, all Violetpaw could do was watch as Darktail’s struggles grew slower. The big tom went still and Rain rose to her paws. Violetpaw’s heart dropped when Rain spotted her. Her green eye widened, then narrowed again, and she growled to herself.

Violetpaw had never been so frightened in her life. Her heart thrummed in her chest and she could barely breathe.  _ I wasn’t supposed to see that, _ she thought, terror turning her muscles to stone so that she couldn’t flee.  _ Is she going to kill me, too? _

Rain screeched when she was attacked by a flash of white.

Darktail was not dead.

Violetpaw flattened herself to the ground as the rogue leader reared up over Rain. She didn’t want to watch, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away as Darktail hurled himself forward and drew his unsheathed claws up. Rain stared at him, her eyes wide. She dodged his attack and shoved him away, easy with him being so weak.

Rain shot out of the den, her blood scent filling Violetpaw’s nose.

Darktail raced after her. Violetpaw couldn’t move.

“Catch her!” Darktail screeched. “Sleekwhisker, Thistle, Lioneye. Track her down.”

Violetpaw was shaking, and she felt like she was going to vomit. She remembered Needletail and Rain’s interaction before.  _ Does Rain really love Needletail? Was she going to kill Needletail, too? _

“I always knew that Rain would betray me.” Darktail’s growl sounded behind Violetpaw. “When you catch her, show no mercy.”


	10. Chapter Eight

* * *

Firefern ran down the tree, nearly slipping as she stumbled down. She waited for Bellaleaf to get down, making sure she didn’t fall, before she ran toward camp, taking long strides. “Firefern!” Bellaleaf called. “It didn’t come from camp!”

Firefern skidded to a halt, her ears pricking to see where the screams came from. Another yowl pierced the forest air. “Honeytail!” she cried, running toward where the warrior’s yowls were echoing. “Bellaleaf, go back to camp and get help.”

Her mate nodded and twisted around, back to the makeshift camp.

Firefern gagged as strong fox scent washed over her scent glands. She was getting close. She stopped, her fur bristling when she caught sight of the fox, towering over Honeytail and Blackfire. The black-and-white warrior was standing in front of his Clanmate to protect her, both their pelts were bushed up, their tails twice their original sizes.

Firefern leapt toward the fox, her powerful back legs launching her forward. She landed on its back and sank her fangs into its shoulder, making it scream. It turned its large head back to snap at her, but she was quick to leap off, hissing at it.

Honeytail and Blackfire leapt into action, swiping at the fox’s tail and nipping at its back legs. Their eyes blazed. The fox whipped its head around, confused from all the cats. Firefern swiped at its muzzle, giving it a good scratch. It snarled, snapping its jaws around her paws.

Yelping, Firefern tugged her paw away, limping back. Honeytail sank her teeth into its tail. Firefern took the chance to batter the fox’s muzzle again.

“Keep confusing it!” Firefern called, jumping back when the fox swiped at her. “We should be able to chase it off that way.”

Blackfire leapt on top of the fox while Honeytail continued to swipe and nip at its legs. It yowled, shaking Blackfire off and rushing off into the forest, away from camp.

Panting, Firefern limped over to Honeytail and Blackfire, her paw still aching. “Are you two okay?” she asked, sniffing at their wounds.

“Honeytail’s hurt her leg,” Blackfire meowed, letting the ginger she-cat lean on him.

Honeytail gasped when she stepped on her back leg, which was bleeding heavily. Firefern circled them, sniffing anxiously at the deep cut. “I’m fine,” Honeytail tried to assure them, but she was limping as she began to pad toward camp.

“Lean on us,” Firefern meowed, stepping up beside her. Blackfire flanked her as well, and they pressed against her, helping her walk.

They got halfway to the makeshift camp when three cats came into view. “Firefern!” Bellaleaf ran over to her mate, licking her cheek. Sandynose and Plumwillow were with her. “Are you three okay?” She glanced at Honeytail. “Were you badly hurt?”

“We were able to confuse it until it ran off,” Firefern explained, “but Honeytail got the worst of it. It got her leg pretty bad.”

“Firefern fought excellently,” Honeytail meowed, letting out puffs of breath through the pain. “You should’ve seen her.”

“Come on,” Sandynose meowed, pressing against his sister. “Let’s get you back to camp and clean out your wound.” He nodded to Firefern before he led his sister to camp with Blackfire’s help. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked, his eyes wide with worry.

“No,” Honeytail sighed, her tail whisking. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”

Firefern nuzzled Bellaleaf, her tail brushing against her mate’s own. “Are you hurt?” Bellaleaf asked. Firefern looked at her and smiled.

“I’m fine,” she assured. “That fox shook me is all.” She hid her paw well. They got to camp without any cat seeing it.  _ They need to focus on helping Honeytail, _ she told herself.  _ They don’t need to worry about me. _ Sandynose led Honeytail to a nest and lay her down.

The Clan surrounded them. “What happened?” Bloomwhisker asked, her eyes wide.

“A fox attacked them!” Plumwillow explained. “Could it come here and hurt us?” She gave her kits an anxious glance.

“That fox won’t be back,” Blackfire sniffed. “We taught it a lesson it won’t soon forget.”

Solbrook stood between the Clan and Honeytail, his tail flicking. “Give Honeytail some space,” he told them. “We need to treat her wounds. Go back to your nests, we’ll make sure she’s alright.”

The Clan cats glanced at each other, still worried about their injured Clanmate, but they didn’t argue with Solbrook. They went back to their nests, laying down and flattening their ears. Sandynose groomed his sister’s fur and Finpaw, Reedpaw, and Dewpaw stared at their aunt, worried.

“Come on, dears,” Plumwillow meowed. “Let’s lay down.”

“Yes,” Hawkwing meowed. “I’ll tell you a story. What would you like to hear tonight?” Hawkwing flashed Sandynose a sympathetic look before laying in his nest with his mate and kits, speaking in a hushed tone.

Solbrook pulled Firefern away from Honeytail. “Do you know anything about herbs?” he asked. “I remember so little from Echosong, I only know we need cobwebs.”

“I think marigold treats infection,” Firefern whispered.

“That’s right,” Stormheart mewed, padding over to them. Her pelt was slick, as if she just finished grooming herself. “But we don’t know where to find any of that in this territory. We would have known if we still lived in the gorge . . .” Her eyes rounded and she cleared her throat. “We’ll have to figure something out.”

“We will,” Firefern promised. “We can go searching for some tonight.”

“Is that such a good idea?” Stormheart asked. “The fox is still out there. You could get hurt.”

“What else can we do?” Firefern snapped, her pelt bristling. “We can’t just let Honeytail’s leg get infected.”

Stormheart looked surprised at her sister’s tone, then her ears flattened and her tail flicked. “You can do whatever you want,” she huffed. “We just don’t need more injured cats to worry about.”

Firefern stared at her sister, her eyes narrowing. She didn't get it. “I’ll go out myself.” She turned to the nests, where cats were still murmuring to each other. “Bellaleaf?” Her mate perked her head and padded over to her. “We’re going out to find cobwebs and marigold. You coming?”

“Sure.” Bellaleaf stretched. “It’s a nice enough night.”

“I’ll come too,” Solbrook meowed.

“Me as well.” Stormheart got to her paws .”Solbrook and I can gather cobwebs while you and Bellaleaf look for marigold.” She glanced at the orange warrior, her eyes sparkling. Firefern stared at Stormheart, then Bellaleaf, but their gazes betrayed nothing. “Come on, we don’t have all night.” She leapt out of the hollow, the others close behind.

Firefern tasted the air. There was no fox scent. “Look out for the fox,” she meowed, nodding to her brother and sister. “Please, be careful.”

“We will,” Stormheart meowed. “There should be cobwebs close by.” They padded deeper into the forest, and, with one last tail wave of goodbye from Solbrook, they disappeared into the dark of the forest.

Firefern sighed. She knew what marigold looked like, but she had no idea where it grew. She turned to Bellaleaf. “Do you know where marigold grows?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea,” Bellaleaf meowed, her whiskers twitching. Firefern sighed and her shoulders slumped. “Don’t worry,” Bellaleaf brushed against her, “we’ll find it eventually.”

They sniffed around. The smell of the forest reminded Firefern of the forest near the gorge. She remembered when Cherrytail, Macgyver, and Sandynose took them on the tour of the territory for the first time. Firepaw had been so excited to see the forest, and all the sights and smells had almost overwhelmed her. Her heart ached. That was so long ago . . . she missed the gorge greatly.

Her ears pricked when she heard the sounds of rushing water. “A river,” she meowed. Then her eyes widened. “Yes! I remember! Marigold grows near water.” She could distinctly remember when Echosong took her and her siblings out as apprentices to collect herbs and she had fallen into the river, carried downstream by the current. When Echosong rescued her, she found a patch of marigold near the bank. Firepaw had been so embarrassed but so proud at the same time.

The deputy began sniffing around the river, her nose close to the earth. “So, Firefern,” Bellaleaf began, “we never got to talk earlier.”

Firefern lifted her head. She’d forgotten that Bellaleaf wanted to have a conversation with her that night. “Oh, right. What did you want to talk about?”

Bellaleaf began sniffing at the ground as well, lifting her head with her jaws agape as she drank in the scents of the bank. Then she shook her head and continued looking. “Listen. I know we’ve lost kits before.” Firefern stiffened. Was that what this was about? She didn’t interrupt, continuing her search for the herb. “I want to try having kits again.”

Firefern lifted her head, her eyes wide. Her pelt prickled, bristling along her spine. “Are you sure this is the best time to have kits?” she asked, shuffling her paws.

“We should be at the lake before they’re even born,” Bellaleaf argued.

“But can you travel while you’re pregnant?”

“Pebblestorm, Plumwillow, and Honeytail were fine when they were pregnant.”

“And Pebblestorm went missing and Honeytail had a stillborn!”

Bellaleaf became rigid. “Are you really worried about that?” she asked, stepping forward. “Honeytail had been grieving during her pregnancy, and Pebblestorm . . . well. That was so unfortunate.” Her eyes became glassy.

“I don’t know,” Firefern sighed. She continued her search, frustration beginning to well up inside her.

“It’s okay if you don’t want kits.” Firefern flattened her ears. “It’s your choice.”

Firefern growled, the frustration making her blood boil. She unsheathed her claws, scoring the ground. Bellaleaf leapt toward her. “It’s okay!” the orange she-cat meowed, her pelt bristling, eyes wide.

“But it’s not!” Firefern snapped. The heat in her chest bubbled over, turning hard. “If Honeytail’s hurt, it means we can’t travel. Our warriors don’t want to stay here any longer than they have to, they’ll get antsy.” Tears stung her eyes. “The whole of SkyClan wants to find the lake, but what if we can’t?” She slumped. “What if we  _ never  _ find the lake? I want to have kits with you, Bellaleaf, but I’m not sure I can before we reach the other Clans.”

Bellaleaf’s shoulders sagged. “We can always live away from the lake,” she murmured. “We survived long enough in the gorge.”

“Can we?” Firefern shook her head. “StarClan may never speak with us again if we do.”

Deafening silence hit Firefern’s ears. The water bubbled beside her, and the ground was wet under her paws. Crickets chirped in the forest around them. It was a peaceful night, the sky was clear, but the moon was dark.

“Come on,” Bellaleaf meowed, nudging Firefern. “It’s too dark to find anything here. We’ll just have to wait until morning.” Firefern nodded and rose to her paws. She padded a tail-length ahead of Bellaleaf on the way back to camp.

Stormheart and Solbrook were sitting beside Honeytail. They stood when they saw Firefern and Bellaleaf, their tails drooping when they explained they found nothing. “That’s okay,” Solbrook meowed. “We can just treat her with the cobwebs for now. She’ll be alright.”

Honeytail was sleeping now. She was shuddering and squirming beside Sandynose. Twinepaw sat beside his mother as well, his ears flat. He glanced at Solbrook as he treated her wound. “Is she going to be okay?” he asked, his green eyes wide with worry.

“She’ll be fine,” Stormheart promised, pressing her nose against Twinepaw’s head. “Go lay with your cousins. Hawkwing and Plumwillow will be happy to let you sleep with them tonight.”

Twinepaw dipped his head to the warrior and scurried off toward his kin. Hawkwing licked his ear, letting him lay beside him in the nest.

Firefern padded over to her nest, her limbs aching as exhaustion dragged her down. It had been a long day . . . She lay in the comfortable nest. It had a few feathers sticking in it, making it soft. Bellaleaf lay beside her, and she nearly forgot about their fight. Firefern only breathed in her scent, relaxing beside her mate. 

And as she slept, she dreamed.

She stood in a large body of water, stretching all around her, beyond her line of sight. The water reached up to her chest, almost high enough to engulf her. The waves were small, brushing against her fur. The water reflected the blue sky.

Firefern glanced up at it. There was a red trail stretching from behind her to the horizon. It was red as a flame, maybe even deeper than that. Then she remembered. “The blood trail!” she cried. The ground disappeared beneath her. As she sank deeper into the water, she heard cries of cats, yowls for help.

Firefern jolted awake, her heart pounding. She leapt to her paws and looked up at the sky. The stars were twinkling, warmer than Firefern had ever seen them in these past moons.  _ I know what I have to do. _

\--------

After the run-in with the fox, Leafstar had decided she didn’t want to stay in this territory any longer. They were meant to leave that day at sunhigh, after Firefern sent out a few hunting patrols, but they decided it’d be best if they stayed together. Firefern was staring at Honeytail, who was limping with the help of Sandynose, and speaking with her son, Twinepaw. Twinepaw and Sandynose looked worried for their kin, and Honeytail looked tired.

Beside Sandynose were his mates, Hawkwing and Plumwillow, then their three kits trailing behind them. Firefern was further up ahead than them, walking near Leafstar. She hadn’t told her mother about her dream yet, a bit worried about how she might react.

_ Well, it’s now or never. _ “Leafstar,” she murmured to her leader. “I must talk to you.”

Leafstar turned to her, her eyes wide. “What is it?” she asked. “Did you get hurt in the fox fight as well?”

“No,” Firefern lied, her injured paw burning as she was reminded of it. “I had a dream last night.” She explained her strange dream, the Blood Trail stretching across the sky, the cats screaming in the water. “I think it was the lake, where the other Clans live. I think I have to follow the Blood Trail and find it. I need to go to the lake. Alone.”

Leafstar stared at her. “Alone?” She blinked, bemused. “I can’t let you go alone, Firefern. What would happen if you got hurt?”

“The Clan needs rest, and Honeytail needs to heal,” Firefern protested. “I have to do this by myself, mom.”

“You will be taking three warriors with you,” Leafstar meowed, her voice firm, “and that’s final. I can’t lose you, Fire.” Her eyes rounded with sadness, and Firefern realized why her mother was so worried.

“Okay,” Firefern gave in.

They continued on. They had gotten out of the forest, now on a vast moor. In the distance, she could see a Twoleg structure. It wasn’t like the houses near the gorge, it was different. It looked almost like Barley’s barn, but yellow. “We can rest there,” Leafstar meowed to the warriors behind her.

“There’s a fence in the way,” Rabbitleap meowed, bounding over to the shiny material that stretched high over them.

Firefern shook out her pelt. “We’ll just have to hop over it, I suppose,” she meowed. With ease, she leapt on top of the fence, the spikes on top barely grazing her thanks to her tough pads. She hopped down to the other side. She sank into mud that smelled rank.

“What will Honeytail do?” Sandynose asked.

“You’re just going to have to help her over,” Firefern meowed as Leafstar landed beside her.

“I can do it,” Honeytail meowed, her tail flicking as she pushed away from her brother. She crouched down, getting ready to jump. She gasped, flinching, when she put too much weight on her leg.

“I can try to find a way to get around,” Hawkwing meowed.

“No, don’t worry.” Honeytail crouched again and leapt up, careful of her wound. Sandynose leapt up after her, leaning against his sister and helping her climb back down. He sniffed at her wound.

“It didn’t reopen did it?” Firefern asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” Sandynose sighed. His eyes narrowed and he flicked his tail. “You need to be more careful!” he snapped at Honeytail, his ears flattening.

Honeytail bristled. “I can take care of myself!” she told him, baring her teeth. “We have plenty more cobwebs, don’t we?”

“And if your wound gets infected?” Sandynose hissed. “Use some common sense.”

Honeytail lowered her head, her tail lashing, and Plunwillow landed behind them, rubbing against Sandynose to calm him. “Don’t worry,” the gray warrior meowed. “No damage was done. Come on we need to get to that barn.” She flicked her tail to Hawkwing, who helped Finpaw, Reedpaw, and Dewpaw over the fence, followed closely by Twinepaw, Blackfire, and the rest of the SkyClan warriors.

Hawkwing leapt over last, brushing against Sandynose before letting Honeytail lean on him to guide her to the barn. Firefern padded close behind them. The wound on her paw was beginning to sting in the thick, gross mud. She grit her teeth, hoping Honeytail was careful to keep her wounded leg out of it.

They reached the barn, and Firefern was quick to begin giving orders. “Hawkwing, Blackfire, Bloomwhisker, go gather some prey,” she meowed, and they left the barn to follow her order. “We don’t need any nests, thanks to this hay, but we need some herbs to help Honeytail’s wound.”

“Yes,” Leafstar meowed. “Try to find some horsetail, goldenrod, or marigold.” She nodded to Stormheart and Solbrook. “You know what that looks like, right?”

“Yes,” Stormheart meowed. “We’ll get right on that.”

Firefern’s siblings left the barn, and Firefern suddenly wished she could go with them.  _ But I should really stay and help the Clan settle.  _ She padded over to Honeytail. “You didn’t get your leg in that mud, did you?”

“No,” Honeytail meowed, laying carefully on her side. She stared at the entrance of the barn, her eyes wide. “I wish I could go hunting. I want to dig my claws into something.”

Firefern smiled. “You’ll get better soon, I promise.” She licked her Clanmate’s ear.

As Firefern checked on her Clanmates, she locked eyes with Bellaleaf. Worry crawled through her. Was Bellaleaf angry with her? Then Bellaleaf smiled, waving her tail, and the anxiety eased. She nodded to her mate with a small smile, before she lay down in a nest of hay, relaxing in the warmth. Soon the hunting patrol returned with an abundance of prey, and so did Solbrook and Stormheart.

Firefern got to her paws when she recognized the green of horsetail in Stormheart’s jaws. She bounded over to her sister, sniffing at the herbs. “Excellent!” she meowed. “This will help Honeytail greatly.”

She took the horsetail from Stormheart. “Solbrook found goldenrod as well,” her sister meowed, flicking her tail to the tom. “That should help heal her up.”

“Thank StarClan,” Firefern murmured, relaxing. She had been so worried that Honeytail’s wound would get infected. “Thank you both. I can treat her now.” She joined Honeytail once more, laying the herbs down beside her. She chewed both the herbs into a sticky poultice and began to lick it onto Honeytail’s leg. The cut was deep and red.

Honeytail sighed and relaxed. “That feels much better, thank you, Fire,” she meowed, laying her head down. She bit into the half-eaten mouse beside her. “I hope this will all be over soon.”

“Me too,” Firefern murmured. She looked at the goldenrod and horsetail, and thought about dressing her own wound with it.  _ No, _ she decided.  _ Not until Honeytail is well again. _

The deputy glanced at her Clanmates. Hawkwing was lying beside Plumwillow and grooming her pelt, both sharing a mouse. Twinepaw, Reedpaw, Dewpaw, and Finpaw were practicing battle moves, rolling on the dusty floor.

Firefern thought she’d finally be able to rest, but Leafstar leapt up onto a large pile of hay and called her Clan together. The deputy pricked her ears, wondering if this had to do with her dream. “Cats of SkyClan,” Leafstar began, her voice grave. “It has been a few seasons since we left our home in the gorge to find the other Clans near the lake, but we still haven’t made it. My daughter, Firefern, had a dream last night, and she believes it may be a sign that she must follow the Blood Trail Echosong spoke of alone to find the other Clans.”

Worried murmurs spread among the Clans, and Firefern felt their gazes burn into her. She puffed out her chest, trying to hide the fact that her stomach was churning. “It’s too dangerous!” Rabbitleap meowed.

“We should all go as a group,” Bellaleaf spoke up, her eyes round.

“I’ve already made up my mind,” she told her, taken aback by her own harsh tone. Bellaleaf flattened her ears, hurt. Before Firefern could speak again, Leafstar continued.

“I’ve convinced her to take two or more cats with her. Who volunteers to go?” Leafstar scanned her Clan.

Stormheart stepped forward. “I will go,” she meowed, glancing at her sister.

“I wish I could go as well,” Solbrook meowed. “But I have my apprentice to worry about. Sorry, Fire.”

“I’ll go then.” Bellaleaf stepped forward, her chest puffed out. “I want to follow the Blood Trail for my Clanmates. I want to find the lake.”

“I want to go as well!” another voice squeaked. Twinepaw forced himself to the front of the crowd, his green eyes wide. “I want to help save SkyClan.”

Gasps and murmurs rose up, and Honeytail sat up straight, her mouth agape. “You can’t go!” she meowed, her voice breaking. “Twinepaw, it’s too dangerous.”

“I’m nearly a warrior!” Twinepaw reminded his mother, stomping his front paw. “I want to do something good for SkyClan. I want to find the lake!”

Leafstar stared at the apprentice, as if deep in thought, before shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Twinepaw, but you must stay here.”

Twinepaw whipped his tail and huffed. Firefern felt some sympathy for the young tom.  _ He just wants to help his mother. _ She sighed and turned away from him, back to her leader. “You may leave at dawn tomorrow,” Leafstar meowed, dipping her head to her daughter. “We will stay here until you return. Hawkwing—” the gray tom lifted his head when she said his name “—will act as deputy until you’ve returned.”

Firefern nodded, her paws tingling with excitement. Soon, SkyClan would be at the lake, she just knew it.


	11. Chapter Nine

“Honeypaw, from this moment on your name will be Honeyspots,” Bramblestar called. Alderheart watched with Twigpaw beside him in the medicine den. He glanced at her leg, which was still broken. It was taking much longer to heal than they thought it would. Anxiety for his friend made his stomach churn.

“There’s nothing more we can do,” Leafpool had meowed, sniffing at the twisted back leg. “We just have to hope that it heals correctly. It may take another few sunrises.” She glanced at Alderheart, worry sparkling in her gaze. It made Alderheart's stomach churn. "We'll just have to wait and see. If it goes poorly, well. We did the best we could." Alderheart sighed and nodded, not saying anything more. Puddleshine had pressed against him and licked his cheek in reassurance, but it didn't help the ache in Alderheart's stomach.

Meanwhile, Snowbush and Lilyheart were anxious as a rabbit in a fox den, visiting their daughter in the medicine den every day. Twigpaw kept telling them she was fine, as did Alderheart, Puddleshine, and Leafpool. And they believed them. But they were still worried.

“StarClan honors you for your cleverness and kindness,” Bramblestar continued, smiling at the calico warrior, “and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.”

Honeyspots, Larktail, and Leafshade all bundled together, then glanced back at Twigpaw, who gave them a small, sad smile. Alderheart licked Twigpaw’s ear, wrapping his tail around her. “You’ll be up there soon, you know?” he meowed.

“I know,” Twigpaw sighed, watching Snowbush and Lilyheart flock around their kits, pride shining in their eyes. She limped toward her nest, her leg lifted above the ground, flopping over. Alderheart padded over to her and ran his paw down her leg, feeling where the bone was broken at a strange angle.

“How is she doing?” Leafpool asked, looking up from where she was helping Briarlight with her stretching exercises.

“Better,” Alderheart replied. He gently pressed on the twisted paw, glancing at Twigpaw. “Did I hurt you just then?” Twigpaw just shook her head in answer.

“That’s great!” Briarlight meowed cheerfully. “I’ll miss you, Twigpaw, when you go back to the apprentice’s den.” Twigpaw smiled at the brown she-cat.

"She'll be back for checkups,” Leafpool meowed, taking her paws off of Briarlight. Dovewing, who was lying near her mate, smiled at her she stretched her front paws. “And you can always visit her in her den.”

Twigpaw only sighed; Alderheart wasn’t sure whether she was actually listening. He wished he knew what he could do or say to cheer her up: the young apprentice had been depressed ever since her encounter with Violetpaw during the battle.

“Have Blossomfall, Ivypool, and Fernsong decided on having kits?” Briarlight asked, blinking at Leafpool. “I can’t believe my sister might be a mother sometime soon! It seems like it was only yesterday she and I were playing together in the nursery.”

“They’ve decided they'll wait a while before having kits,” Leafpool mewed. She sighed. “They didn’t think bringing kittens into the Clan would be a good idea, especially with the rogues in ShadowClan territory.”

Briarlight nodded thoughtfully. “I get that.” Her eyes sparkled. “I still can’t wait until they have them. They’ll be the strongest kits in the Clan. I can tell you that.” She smiled at Dovewing. “And maybe they’ll have some cousins to play with sometime soon.” She purred and licked Dovewing’s cheek. Dovewing smiled back, but she looked uneasy.

“I’m going to get some fresh-kill,” Dovewing meowed, touching Briarlight’s ear with her nose. “I’ll see you in a bit, okay honey?” She blinked at Twigpaw and padded out of the den. Puddleshine brushed in as she left and blinked at Alderheart.

As Dovewing padded out, Alderheart watched Twigpaw. He had thought she would surely be interested in having new kits in the Clan, but once again she hardly seemed to be listening.

“You’ll be fine now, Twigpaw,” he mewed, rising to his paws. He swayed with weariness. After finding out that Twigpaw still wasn't healing he couldn’t sleep. Puddleshine had lay beside him, licking his fur and snoring quietly, but that didn’t seem to calm Alderheart down enough to let him drift off.

As Alderheart swayed, Puddleshine rushed over to him, helping him to his paws. “I can keep my eye on Violet—er Twigpaw.” He blinked at his own mistake, shaking out his fur. “Get some rest Alder. You can sleep in the apprentices’ den for now.”

“Okay,” Alderheart agreed, feeling more tired than ever at the thought of collapsing into sleep.

“On the way, could you find Jayflight?” Leafpool meowed. “Briarlight wanted to take a walk with him. He left to get something to eat, but he’s had enough time to go to the horseplace and return.”

Alderheart nodded; it was good for Briarlight to get out of camp to take walks, and it was better that Jayflight went with her in case she got hurt. Alderheart dutifully padded out into the clearing and looked around for the warrior.

The first cat he spotted was Purdy, drowsing in a patch of sunlight near the fresh-kill pile, with Dovewing beside him. They were sharing a vole, though Purdy didn’t look like he was eating much. Remembering the old cat’s bellyache from the night of the Gathering, Alderheart hurried over to him.

“How are you feeling, Purdy?” he asked.

Purdy blinked at him. “Better, thanks,” he replied. “The bellyache comes an’ goes, y’know.”

Dovewing looked at her elder friend, her eyes wide. “You had a bellyache?” she mewed, worried.

Purdy shrugged, his tail flicking. “Nothin’ I can’t handle.”

“Should I get you some juniper berries now?” Alderheart asked.

Purdy flicked his ear. “No, I’ll manage. At my age, a bit o’ bellyache ain’t nothin’ to worry ‘bout. I’ll just take it easy at the fresh-kill pile for a couple o’ days.”

“If you’re sure . . .,” Alderheart mewed.

“Sure I’m sure. Herbs can’t fix everythin’, young whippersnapper. I remember the one time . . .,” Purdy began, but the rest of the story was lost in a massive yawn.

“Well, make sure you come to the medicine den if the pain gets any worse,” Alderheart told him.

Purdy let out a rumbling purr. “I will . . . I know I can count on you.” He rested his nose on his paws and drifted into sleep. Dovewing licked his ear before taking another bite from her vole.

Alderheart looked down at him for a moment until raised voices distracted him. He turned and let out a groan as he spotted Rowanclaw and Bramblestar, nose to nose in the middle of another argument.

“Not  _ again _ ,” he muttered.

“It’s obvious what we have to do now!” Rowanclaw snapped. “We must organize another attack, and take back ShadowClan.”

“I don’t disagree with that.” Bramblestar sounded as if he was finding it hard to hold onto his temper. “But we have to take our time and make a plan, instead of just dashing in like foxes after a rabbit.”

Rowanclaw glared at him. “You’re just making excuses.”

“Excuses?” Bramblestar’s tone grew cold. “Have you forgotten that Mudstar and Mistystar have said they’re refusing to fight, at least for now?  _ And _ that Russetstar didn’t even carry out what  _ she _ wanted by killing Darktail.”

Russetstar glared from across the way, then lowered her head and stared at her paws. As the leader and deputy spoke, Alderheart noticed Jayflight sitting close by, with his nieces, Hollytuft, Sorrelstripe, and Fernsong. Jayflight and Hollytuft were openly following the argument, their ears perked with interest, while Sorrelstripe and Fernsong tried to keep up with their own conversation, looking embarrassed. Cinderheart and Lionblaze, who were sitting a bit farther away, pretended to be sharing tongues, their ears flattened; though Alderheart could tell from how they would break off after tongue stroke that they were paying close attention to the two cats. Tawnypelt, too, was listening a couple tail-lengths away. Pinenose was as well, sitting next to Rosepetal and Bumblestripe. Bumblestripe sent Pinenose an uncomfortable look, his paws shuffling.

Alderheart padded over to join his kin, and Sorrelstripe brushed a friendly tail over his shoulder as he sat next to her.

“I would never have thought that ThunderClan could be such  _ cowards _ ,” Russetstar hissed nastily as she joined her deputy.

At once, Lionblaze stopped grooming his mate and half rose to his paws, glaring furiously at the ShadowClan leader. Hollytuft let out a soft hiss, but Jayflight gave her a swift glare, shaking his head. Lionblaze backed down as well, his mate murmuring something into his ear, though she was giving Russetstar a sideways glare as well. Bumblestripe got to his paws, gulping down the rest of his mouse before padding out of camp as if not wanting to hear this.

Alderheart blinked when his sister’s ginger pelt came into view, along with Honeyspots, whose eyes were wide. Sparkstorm sat down next to her brother, rolling her eyes at him. “It’s like a couple of kits fighting,” she mumbled, making him giggle.

“And  _ I _ would never have thought I’d hear that from you, Russetstar,” Bramblestar retorted, returning her glare. “If you and the other ShadowClan cats hadn’t hesitated to attack your former Clanmates, maybe the battle would have gone better.” Whirling to face Alderheart, he added, “Tell these excuses for leaders that my warriors are too badly injured to stage another attack.”

Alderheart nodded. “Send them into battle before their wounds are healed, and they won’t make it.”

Jayflight sniffed. “You wouldn’t want  _ dead cats _ on your conscience, would you, Russetstar?”

Russetstar cringed, but before she could retaliate, Tawnypelt rose to her paws and took a step forward. “There must be another way—” she began.

Her brother, leader, and her mate glared at her. “Keep out of this,” Russetstar snapped.

“Yes, this is leaders’ business,” Bramblestar added.

Tawnypelt gave a single lash of her tail. “Are you complete mousebrains?” she snarled. “This is every cats business. I still have  _ kin _ in that camp, in case you’ve forgotten!”

By now, Alderheart realized more of his Clanmates were gathering around to listen. Most of them looked furious; he guessed this was because they had heard Russetstar accuse them of being cowards. Squirrelflight had rushed forward and stood by Tawnypelt’s side, her eyes blazing.

As his gaze passed over them, Alderheart spotted two cats that were staring in another direction: Ivypool was watching Goldenheart and Dovewing, where they were sitting together, and she looked both irritated and anxious. Dovewing was looking in the direction of the medicine den, almost as if she didn’t know Goldenheart was there. She looked tired.

_ I wonder what  _ that’s _ all about. _

“Russetstar’s got a lot of nerve,” Cinderheart mewed quietly to Lionblaze, “expecting ThunderClan to fight her battles for her.” With a flick of her tail she added, “If most of the ShadowClan cats want Darktail to be their leader, maybe ThunderClan shouldn’t be fighting for Russetstar at all. Is it really our business?”

Shock and confusion spread through Alderheart from ears to tail-tip.  _ StarClan chose Russetstar to be leader, and gave her nine lives, _ he thought.  _ To refuse to defend her Clan would be a violation of the warrior code. _

The camp began to blur in front of Alderheart’s eyes. He blinked to clear his vision, realizing how tired he was.

“Jayflight, Briarlight wanted to take a walk with you,” he meowed, and added to the other cats, “I’ll see you later.”

“I want to take a walk with you tomorrow, Alder!” Sorrelstripe called after him. “Got any time?”

“I hope I do,” Alderheart meowed, dipping his head to his cousin. “I’ll see what I can do.” He waved his tail to the others.

Then he headed to the quiet of the apprentices’ den, behind its barrier of ferns, where he settled into Larktail’s old nest and closed his eyes. He sank at once into sleep, as if he were gently falling into a dark lake.

\--------

Alderheart opened his eyes and found himself on the edge of a large group of cats.

The other cats were thin, their pelts ragged, and they lay stretched out or curled up sleeping as if they were all exhausted. Suddenly Alderheart recognized them.

_ These are the cats of SkyClan. I’m having another vision! _

Although he looked closely, he could not see Echosong among them. He remembered his last vision, where Echosong was weak and seemed to be dying, with her Clan surrounding her. Sorrowfully, he realized that she must really have died when he’d seen her in the hollow beside the pool.

Glancing around, Alderheart tried to work out where they were. At first he was confused. Walls of gray stone rose all around him, with light slatning in from the narrow opening near the top. The floor was hard stone, too, covered with heaps of straw.

_ This must be some kind of Twoleg den. _

Then he remembered the place where he and Needletail had sheltered from the rain on their way back from the gorge, where Sandstorm had visited him in a dream and told him to find a different path. This could be the same yellow barn. There were no horses now, but the wooden barriers dividing the den into sections were in the same place.

_ If this is that barn, then the SkyClan cats aren’t so far away. _

He scanned the cats. He gasped when he noticed one cat, a ginger tabby, sitting near a wall, their leg splayed out behind them. They were injured. Without a medicine cat, who was caring for them? She had cobwebs covering her leg, but it was put on sloppily, and it was stained with blood. His heart ached for her. It looked painful.

Movements in the shadows caught Alderheart’s eye, and he saw a gray cat emerge from behind one of the heaps of straw, two limp mice bodies in their jaws. They padded across the stone floor and laid one of the mice next to the ginger tabby, who dipped their head gratefully. Then he turned and met a gray she-cat who had three apprentices near her.

Alderheart had never noticed this particular cat before. He must have overlooked them, distracted by Echosong’s suffering, in his previous vision. They had the same gray pelt as Twigpaw, and when they looked up after laying down the mouse, Alderheart saw that they had yellow eyes, the same size and color as Violetpaw’s.

Excitement tingled through Alderheart’s fur, his heart beating hard.

_ Every cat is sure that Twigpaw and Violetpaw’s mother must be dead, _ he thought.  _ But could this cat be their kin? Are the two kits lost members of SkyClan? _

Alderheart sprang to his paws, wanting to observe the gray tom more closely. But at the same moment, harsh sounds fell on his ears, and he startled awake to find himself back in the apprentices’ den.

He let out a hiss of annoyance at the raised voices coming from outside. This time they belonged to Ivypool and Goldenheart, but the topic was still the same: whether ThunderClan should attack the rogues again.

Frustration coursed through Alderheart at the sudden interruption of his vision, especially when he felt he had been on the verge of discovering vital information. He squeezed his eyes tight shut, committing every detail of the vision to memory so that he could be sure not to forget a single thing.

Then he opened his eyes again, already knowing what his next move must be.

_ Could Twigpaw and Violetpaw be SkyClan cats? I need to talk to Bramblestar! _

\--------

Twigpaw lay in her nest in the apprentices’ den. Daylight still filtered in through the screen of ferns, but her leg was aching and she felt like going to sleep.

_ It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do, _ she thought. She had been excused from her apprentices duties until her leg got stronger, and she couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for finding something to eat or talking to any of the other cats.

Leafpool and Alderheart had assured her everything would be okay, but they were uncertain, she just knew it. Who would Twigpaw be if her back leg was useless? She remembered hearing about when Cinderheart had broken her back leg badly. Twigpaw wondered how she coped.

Twigpaw sighed aloud and sat up, staring at her back paw. It looked normal enough, but it ached like a badger bite. Twigpaw was allowed to leave the apprentices' den and walk around camp, but she wasn't allowed out into ThunderClan territory.

Twigpaw's ears perked when the entrance to the den shuffled. A familiar ginger-and-white head poked through. She relaxed as she recognized her father.

“Hey, kit,” Snowbush meowed around a fat vole. He padded over to his daughter, dropping the vole at her paws. “Are you hungry?”

Twigpaw stared at the vole. She had been hungry a while before, but now she just felt sick. She pushed the vole toward him. “Not really,” she mewed, laying her head on her paws. Her father sat beside her in her nest, licking her folded ear.

“How’re you feeling?” the white-and-ginger tom asked, glancing at her leg. His eyes rounded with sympathy. Twigpaw tucked it under her stomach, though it ached.

“I’m okay,” she murmured, leaning into his fluffy fur. He smelled like the musky forest, and the scents of Hollytuft and Dewnose still lingered on his pelt. He must have just gotten back from hunting with them. She took a deep, shaky breath. “I miss Violetpaw.”

Snowbush pressed his nose against her forehead and Twigpaw felt comforted. “Alderheart told me what happened in the battle,” he meowed. “That must have been scary.”   
  


Twigpaw reflected on the moment when Violetpaw unsheathed her claws, ready to follow her kin’s order and attack her. It was as if she was plunged into the lake in the middle of leafbare. Cold water washed her pelt. Was Violetpaw really going to attack her? If she hadn’t hurt her leg,  _ would _ Violetpaw have hurt her? “It was scary.”

Snowbush sighed. “You know, Dewnose and I have gotten in fights too,” he meowed, brushing his fluffy tail down Twigpaw’s side. “None as bad as yours, of course, but it’s still scary when your sibling is angry at you.” His eyes became glassy. “I never meant to make it seem like I was trying to control his life, but that’s how he saw it. We didn’t speak for a long time after the fight . . .”

Twigpaw blinked up at him. “You're okay now, aren’t you?”

Snowbush stared at his paws for a moment. “We’re talking again,” he meowed. “I think that if we hadn’t been so angry with each other and we had a real conversation, we might have been able to work things out.”

“Violetpaw and I can’t do that, though,” Twigpaw sighed, laying her head heavily back onto her front legs. “We’re separated by Clans. And she acts like Needletail is her sister more than I am. She . . .” Twigpaw choked. “She acted like we weren’t even sisters anymore.”

Snowbush nuzzled her with his nose. “Don’t worry,” he meowed. “When we drive the rogues out, things will be different.” Twigpaw glanced up at him. His amber eyes were shining with both sympathy and comfort. “You and Violetpaw will  _ always _ be sisters. Just like I’ll always be your dad, right? No Clan can change that.” Twigpaw smiled at him.  _ I’m lucky to have him as my father. _ After moons of doubt, Twigpaw was still struggling with the idea that Lilyheart and Snowbush didn’t truly love her. But now, as he brushed his tail down her spine and he smiled at her, she felt a beam inside her. It was hard for her to understand, but part of her knew that Snowbush was her father and he loved her as his daughter. “Do you want to try eating?” he asked, pushing the vole toward her.

“Yeah.” Twigpaw’s appetite was back now, and her stomach growled. “Do you want to share with me?”

“Lilyheart and I ate before I came over,” Snowbush told, “but I’ll stay here until you’re finished.”

Twigpaw began tearing off chunks of the vole, savoring the taste. She hadn’t eaten that day. “Did you see the ceremony?” Snowbush asked.

“I did,” Twigpaw answered, swallowing and smiling. “Leafshade came into the medicine den to see me before her vigil.” Her sister had sat next to Twigpaw, telling her she was next. They sat together, though Twigpaw was still upset, and spoke about the gray apprentice’s training, asking when Twigpaw would be able to continue. “I’m really proud of them.”

Snowbush nodded. “I am too.”

As Twigpaw finished her vole, licking her lips, she heard Bramblestar’s voice ringing out across the camp.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!”

Snowbush got to his paws and stretched. “You want to come out, or are you too tired?”

Twigpaw shook her head and dragged a paw over her ear to groom herself. “I’ll join you,” she meowed, getting to her paws. Snowbush let her lean against him, guiding her out of the den as she limped across the clearing.

Bramblestar stood on the Highledge outside his den, with Squirrelflight flanking him on one side and the two medicine cats standing on the other. A buzz of speculation rose from the ThunderClan cats as they gathered beneath the ledge in the rock face to hear what their leader had to say.

“This  _ has _ to be important,” Toadstep meowed as he sat beside his sister. “Maybe Bramblestar has thought of a way of getting rid of those rogues at last.”

“Watch out for flying hedgehogs,” Rosepetal responded, flexing her wounded shoulder.

Twigpaw and Snowbush went to sit beside Lilyheart, who was sitting with Larktail. Snowbush helped her sit down heavily beside her mother and the calico she-cat turned to her with  _ mrrow _ of welcome and gave her shoulder a friendly lick, while Larktail gave her a happy blink. Snowbush sat beside Twigpaw, looking up at Bramblestar.

“Are you feeling better?” Lilyheart asked.

Twigpaw smiled at her mother. “Yes,” she replied. “Snowbush and I spoke for a while, and he made me feel a lot better.”

Lilyheart purred.

“Cats of ThunderClan!” Bramblestar began to speak, and the chatter in the clearing died down. “The time for secrets is past. Alderheart, tell the Clan of your latest vision.”

Alderheart stepped forward, looking slightly embarrassed to be addressing the whole Clan from the Highledge.

“I have seen the SkyClan cats again,” he announced. “I believe I know where they are: a barn where I took shelter on the way back from my quest, not very far from here. I think that ThunderClan should send out another search party to find the lost SkyClan cats. They looked so skinny and exhausted, one was injured; I fear that they need our help, urgently.”

Pity for the cats Alderheart flowed through Twigpaw, but at the same time, she wondered what kind of help the Clans could give.  _ Haven’t we got enough trouble right now? _

Alderheart’s last words were almost lost as the cats in the clearing began to yowl in questions and protests. Russetstar sprang to her paws, her eyes glaring with outrage.

“I’ve never heard such a load of bat droppings!” she exclaimed. “We should be focusing on what’s going on  _ here _ —the rogues taking over ShadowClan.” 

“That’s right,” Rosepetal meowed, while several of the other Clan cats murmured their agreement. “We have to deal with what’s in front of us before we rush off on a new adventure.”

“Yes,” Berrynose added from beside Jayflight, giving a dismissive flick of his stubby tail. “The  _ last _ journey cats went on because of Alderheart’s visions didn’t turn out so well, did it?” Jayflight gave Berrynose a look, but didn’t say anything.

Twigpaw felt as if her insides were being clawed out by badgers when she heard Berrynose’s words and realized that many of his Clanmates agreed with him.  _ Are they saying that they regret finding me and my sister? _ Snowbush and Lilyheart seemed to be thinking the same thing, because they sniffed and glared at the cream tom.

She felt sorry for Alderheart, too, as he looked down at his paws, even more embarrassed. Sparkstorm, who was sitting next to Berrynose, gave the cream-colored tom a hard shove.

“It’s easy for a cat to say that when all  _ he _ did was stay home getting fat on prey!” Honeyspots giggled beside the ginger she-cat, green eyes sparkling.

Berrynose turned his head to hiss at Sparkstorm, but said nothing more.

“I don’t agree,” Toadstep spoke up, with an apologetic glance at his sister. “It’s obvious to me—SkyClan must be the sky that will clear from StarClan’s prophecy. Surely we  _ need _ to find them? If we learned anything from the battle against the Dark Forest, it’s that living cats must listen to StarClan and stick together.” Alderheart caught his former mentor’s eye, and he smiled.

Some of the cats were nodding, clearly appreciating what Toadstep had said, but Twigpaw spotted Leafshade and Hollytuft exchanging a dubious glance, and even Alderheart looked doubtful for a heartbeat. Twigpaw could understand that. Like her, the younger cats hadn’t been born at the time of the Great Battle. It was hard to imagine fighting with spirit cats on your side, and even harder to think of facing their claws and teeth in combat.

“There’s something else,” Alderheart continued, raising his voice to be heard above the discussion going on in the clearing. “One of the cats in my vision looked so much like Twigpaw, I think he might be her kin.”

Twigpaw stared at him, feeling as if a massive rock had just hit her belly. For a few heartbeats, she couldn’t even breathe.  _ I might have  _ blood kin _ besides Violetpaw? _ She was sure that her mother was dead, and she had never even thought about her birth father. She glanced at Snowbush, whose eyes were wide.

“If this cat is kin Twigpaw,” Alderheart went on, “then the lost kits have always been linked to SkyClan. The prophecy might depend on us bringing them together.”

Twigpaw flexed her claws in and out with excitement.  _ Not just my kin, but perhaps a whole Clan out there that’s tied to me by blood! _

She glanced around. Sparkstorm and Honeyspots were sharing shocked glances; Honeyspots looked excited for her foster sister, but Sparkstorm almost looked doubtful. Murmurs filled the Clans again, some cats affected by Alderheart’s announcement, others not so much.

“There are a lot of ifs and perhapses in what you’re saying,” Cloudtail pointed out, his tail twitching. “If you ask me, all this talk of visions is a lot a thistle-fluff. You had a vivid dream, that’s all.”

“Excuse  _ me _ ,” Jayflight snapped from where he stood with his mate. “Medicine cats know the difference between a dream and vision.”

“Sure, and I’m a starling,” Cloudtail muttered, while Brightheart lay her tail on his shoulder. Jayflight seemed to ignore the elder.

“Well,  _ I _ think we should take this vision seriously,” Dovewing meowed, with an exasperated glance at her grandfather. “I think we should send a patrol to look for SkyClan and offer them whatever help we can. I’d be happy to join.”

“I’ll join you,” Snowbush added. Twigpaw blinked at her foster father, then softened.  _ Does he want to help find my kin? _ “If you think we can be spared from defending the Clan, Bramblestar.”

“I could lead!” Sparkstorm’s eyes were gleaming with excitement. “I remember where the barn is.”

“I’ll go too,” Goldenheart volunteered, glancing at Dovewing, who turned away from him in an instant.

Russetstar sprang to her paws, glaring at Goldenheart. “You will  _ not _ !” she growled.

Goldenheart was unmoved by his leader’s anger. “You don’t want ShadowClan to have a paw in this affair?” he asked. “After all, the prophecy was made to all the Clans, so it should not be just ThunderClan that investigates.”

“I think you're all wrong!” Ivypool had risen now; Twigpaw was surprised by the depth of passion in her voice. “I’d like to find Twigpaw’s kin as much as any cat, but we can’t be sure that the cat Alderheart saw is connected to her. And right now we’re in the middle of a fight with the rogues. They’ve taken over ShadowClan; what if they come for  _ us _ next? ThunderClan doesn’t have any responsibility to SkyClan—we owe no Clan anything, and I think we should focus on our own problems right now. It’s not like any of the Clan cats who originally drove SkyClan out of the forest are still around.”

Twigpaw’s excitement ebbed away, leaving behind a vast well of hurt and confusion.  _ Ivypool’s my mentor. I thought she would always have my back. Why is she turning against me like this? _

“Ivypool’s right,” Blossomfall spoke up. “This is no time to weaken our Clan by sending warriors away.”

“Yes.” Brackenfur spoke up from where he sat at the entrance to the elders’ den. “If the rogues attack us here, what’s going to happen to us?”

“Can we afford to help SkyClan when we’re in such danger ourselves?” Sorrelstripe added.

Twigpaw felt even more hurt that more cats were agreeing with Ivypool.  _ Don’t they understand how important this is—not just for me, but for the whole Clan? _ Her belly felt as hollow as if she hadn’t eaten for a moon. “But what about  _ me _ ?” she asked suddenly, without really planning to. Several stunned faces turned toward her—some having the decency to look a bit guilty, others wrinkled their noses. “Don’t I have the right to find my kin, if they’re out there?”

Lilyheart nuzzled her daughter, looking at her with sympathy. “Of course you do, little branch,” she meowed gently. “But—” Twigpaw felt a pang in her heart with that  _ but _ “—when you’re a part of a Clan, you must put your needs aside for the good of the Clan. Right now is not the best time to look for SkyClan.”

Twigpaw could feel her ears turning hot with embarrassment and hurt. She looked at the ground, unable to believe that her Clanmates were seriously going to prevent her from finding her kin. When the discussion had continued for a few moments more, Bramblestar took a pace forward and raised one paw for silence. “I’ve heard the arguments on both sides now,” he began. “Alderheart, I’m grateful that you’ve shared your vision with us. Eventually I mean for us to do everything we can to help. And Twigpaw, I do understand how important it is for you to find your kin. But the Clan has spoken, and I agree with the majority of our warriors. For now, we must put our safety first. We will not go to look for SkyClan.” He raised his paw again to cut off protests from Snowbush and Dovewing. “We need all the warriors to stay on ThunderClan territory until we know what the rogues are going to do next. Alderheart, let me know if you have any more visions.”

Bramblestar turned away and went back into his den, followed by Squirrelflight. The medicine cats made their way down the tumbled rock, while the rest of the Clan began to disperse. Sparkstorm met Alderheart with a touch of their noses, looking sympathetic.

For a moment, Twigpaw couldn’t move at all. She felt utterly miserable and betrayed, as if she were sitting at the center of a gray storm cloud. Then she spotted Ivypool heading toward her with a look of concern and apology on her face. But Twigpaw didn’t want to talk to any cat. She rose to her paws, turned her back on Ivypool, and limped away.

“Twigpaw . . .,” Snowbush murmured, but she didn’t listen.  _ He’s not my true father, _ half of her told her angrily. The last beam of hope that Snowbush and Lilyheart did truly lov her was snuffed away, leaving Twigpaw cold as she dragged herself away from her foster kin

_ First Violetpaw, then Ivypool, then Lilyheart, _ she thought wretchedly.  _ Now I know for certain: no cat cares about my blood kin as much as I do. _


	12. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so everyone knows, I added SkyClan to the allegiances! Sorry I didn't add them earlier :')

Needletail stared at her paws. Everything was blurry around her, she felt as if she was going to faint. “Tell . . .” She swallowed, lifting her head to meet Violetpaw’s eyes. “Tell me again.”

Violetpaw cringed. Needletail’s tail flicked when she began the story again. “Rain tried to kill Darktail while he was injured,” she began slowly, shifting on her haunches. “It looked like she was trying to suffocate him. She though she’d done it, but Darktail attacked her and she ran. Darktail sent some warriors to find her but . . . they haven’t her yet.” Her voice was shaking.

Needletail didn’t reply. Sadness washed over her and she dug her claws into the earth underneath her. She remembered Rain in the medicine den, her eye soft as she looked at Needletail with a loving, yet anxious, look.  _ Did she love me? _ Needletail wondered. She growled.  _ That doesn’t matter, does it? _ Her sadness was ripped away by cold, intense fury.  _ She  _ left _ me. Just like every cat does. _

“I know how much Rain meant to you.” Needletail barely heard Violetpaw. “And I know this must be very hard for you. I’m sorry.” She stepped closer to Needletail, flinching when Needletail sharply raised her head to glare at her. “Come on,” she murmured, laying her fluffy tail on Needletail’s shoulders. “Let’s keep hunting. You know Darktail wanted to bring us back as much prey as we could find. You’re such a great hunter, I’m sure we can find more.”

Needletail bristled. “I don’t want to hunt just because  _ Darktail _ told me too,” she growled, spitting her leader’s name like venom.

“But it’s important for your Kin, too,” Violetpaw meowed. “Think of Dawnpelt’s kits.They need prey.”

Alarm flashed through Needletail as a thought struck her. “Do you think Darktail doubts my loyalty?” she asked.

“No.” Violetpaw shook her head, though she didn’t sound certain. Needletail couldn’t relax. “Come on, let’s hunt.”

Needletail nodded, following Violetpaw through the forest. She couldn’t shake the thought of Rain’s face, her soft eye, her kind voice as she assured they’d always be together.  _ She  _ lied _ to me. _ Needletail growled softly under her breath. She glanced up at Violetpaw’s pelt. Her heart ached. At least she still had Violetpaw. At least  _ she  _ didn’t leave her.

Needletail halted when she heard the scuttling of tiny paws on the earth. She tasted the air, the scent of vole wafting over her scent glands. Crouching low to the ground, she glided forward like a snake. She caught the brown pelt of the vole, where it was nibbling on a seed. She leapt forward when she was close enough, biting its neck. It let out a shriek, then fell limp.

Glaring down at the dead prey, Needletail once again thought of Rain. Was it good that Rain was still alive out there? Would she try and find Needletail and take her and Violetpaw away with her? Half of Needletail wished she would. She hissed at the grief that washed over her, ripping her claws into the vole's pelt, growling as she tore through its skin.

“Needletail!” Violetpaw cried, stepping up next to her. “Stop! It’s already dead.”

Needletail sheathed her claws. The vole was torn, but it was still edible. She sniffed and snatched it up, stalking toward where the rest of the prey was buried.

“That was a good catch,” Violetpaw meowed admiringly, though she sounded cautious.

“It’ll do,” Needletail muttered through the prey in her mouth.

As they headed back, Needletail thought back to when Darktail had sent Violetpaw and her to hunt. It was before Needletail knew the truth of Rain. Her pelt prickled as she remembered the glare in his cold blue eyes. What had she done wrong, she had wondered? Now she understood: Darktail knew how close she’d been to Rain. Did he think Needletail would betray him too? A sense of trouble approached like a gray cloud on the horizon. _ Will Darktail be the death of me? _

Needletail and Violetpaw were padding along a small stream, heading in the direction of their prey cache, when Violetpaw halted. Fear bolted through Needletail, thinking she had heard danger, but then Violetpaw flashed her paw onto a bunch of vegetation along the stream. Pride washed over Needetail’s pelt, stifling the anger and fear inside her, as she watched Violetpaw hold up a frog.

“Good job,” she purred, flicking Violetpaw’s ear with her tail. Violetpaw blinked at her friend, her eyes shining. “We should bring our prey back to camp now. We’ll have to make two trips as it is.”

Violetpaw nodded, puffing out her chest. Needletail laughed and nudged her friend. She’d watched Violetpaw grow and turn into the cat she was today; a kind, brave, and loyal cat. Needletail wondered if Violetpaw would be a different cat if she had grown up in ThunderClan or if, by some miracle, she survived underneath the Thunderpath and lived as a rogue, or a loner, or even a kittypet.

But, none of that mattered now. Because, now, Violetpaw was Violetpaw. She was the Violetpaw who stayed by Needletail’s side no matter what; she was the Violetpaw who was tough and loyal to her Kin; she was  _ Needletail’s _ Violetpaw. And nothing could change that.

\--------

When they reached the ShadowClan camp, more cats were approaching from the opposite direction. Roach and Thistle were escorting three cats Violetpaw had never seen before. All three were plump, with glossy pelts, and they were eyeing their surroundings nervously as they entered the camp.

Violetpaw exchanged a shocked glance with Needletail. “Those are  _ kittypets _ !” she exclaimed.

“Do Roach and Thistle have bees in their brains, bringing them here?” Needletail muttered.

Padding across the camp to drop her prey on the fresh-kill pile, Violetpaw saw Darktail emerge from his den, and she braced herself for an explosion of anger. She was grateful that neither she nor Needletail would be the ones in trouble this time.

But to Violetpaw’s astonishment, Darktail bonded across the camp and dipped his head to the kittypets. “Greetings,” he meowed. “Welcome to our camp.”

_ What? Darktail actually  _ wants  _ the kittypets here? _

Violetpaw could see that the ShadowClan warriors weren’t as pleased as Darktail to see the newcomers. They crowded around with expressions of shock and annoyance.

“What’s going on?” Lioneye asked Darktail. “What are kittypets doing on our territory?”

“Come on, Lioneye.” Darktail glared at the she-cat as he signed to her, knowing well that the young warrior coudn’t hear as well as most warriors. “Don’t be so unfriendly. These are our guests. And the Kin here will always be  _ kind _ to guests, won’t they?”

Violetpaw willed her foster sister not to argue. Lioneye had never been kind to Violetpaw, but she couldn’t bear to see another cat die or be mangled to Darktail’s claws, especially not her kin, foster or not. To her relief, Lioneye had the sense to back down. “I guess so,” she muttered.

The rest of the ShadowClan warriors had gotten the message, too; no other cat protested the kittypets’ presence in camp.

Darktail beckoned with his tail for his cats to gather around him, then raised his voice to address them. “As the cats living on the territories around us—the so-called  _ Clan _ cats—have proved to be hostile, and attacked us—”

Violetpaw spotted some of the ShadowClan cats, including Cloverfoot and Sparrowtail, exchanging glances at the rogue leader’s words, but none of them made any comments.

“—I’ve decided that the Kin could use some friends from the Twolegplace,” Darktail continued. “And here they are. We’ve promised them hunting lessons and adventure; they’ll see what fun it is to live with us.” His glance raked across the cats around him. “I’m sure that all of you will show them a good time,” he purred.

_ A good time? _ Violetpaw felt thoroughly alarmed. She was sure that whatever Darktail intended, showing kittypets a good time was the last thing on his mind.

“Come and introduce yourselves,” Darktail invited, waving his tail at the kittypets to encourage them to come forward.

A young black tom glanced around shyly and ducked his head. “My name’s Loki.”

An even younger—maybe a bit older than Violetpaw—cat stepped forward. Violetpaw blinked in surprise. They looked like a brown tabby mixed with a golden tabby. Their eyes were both green and gold. They were, in Violetpaw’s opinion,  _ beautiful. _ “And I’m Witch,” they meowed, bouncing as they spoke. “I live with Loki. It’s great to be here!”

“And I’m called Max.” An older, chubby orange-and-white tom stepped forward, puffing out his chest. “These other wild cats had better not mess around with you while  _ I’m  _ around.”

“It was so exciting when Roach invited us here,” Loki meowed, with a grateful glance at the silver-gray cat.

“Yes, we’ve all heard stories about the cats who lived around the lake from our friend, Minty,” Witch added. “But we never thought we’d meet you, and we wanted to so much! Minty stayed here when her housefolk’s house was flooded, and she said she’d never had so much fun in her life.”

“Well,” Darktail meowed cheerfully, “I think that we could swear a promise of friendship, to protect each other from the wild cats—the  _ vicious _ wild cats—by the lake.”

The visiting cats looked surprised, but they didn’t protest, and willingly followed Darktail to the center of the camp. Violetpaw’s sense of unease was growing. It was obvious that Darktail didn’t just want to make friends with these kittypets. She wondered whether any other cat could detect the underlying menace in his words.

“Now say this after me,” Darktail began. “I swear to be a friend of the Kin . . . to share what I have with them . . . to defend them and to help them and be one with them . . . for as long as I live.”

The three cats repeated the phrases Darktail spoke. Witch’s voice in particular rang out clearly, as if they meant every word. Violetpaw wondered if they had any idea of what they were promising.

“Now we ought to seal the pact with blood,” Darktail announced.

The three kittypets exchanged alarmed glances, shifting from paw to paw as their shoulder fur began to bristle. “I don’t know about that . . .” Max began.

“Only a drop,” Raven reassured them. “It won’t hurt at all.”

After a moment’s hesitation, all three kittypets nodded in agreement, though Max still looked doubtful. Violetpaw wondered whether all of Darktail’s rogues had been through this ritual. It was so different from the warrior ceremonies of the Clan cats.

Each kittypet in turn raised a forepaw, and Darktail lightly pierced one of their pads with his claw. Each of them winced, and Loki let out a squeal of surprise, but it was soon over, and Raven had told them the truth: it was only a drop of blood, and, as they licked their paws, the three kittypet’s eyes were still shining with enthusiasm.

“Each of you must have a guide to show you around,” Darktail meowed. “Raven, I want you to look after Max. Sleekwhisker, you can take charge of Loki. And . . .” He hesitated, then gave Violetpaw a nod. “Yes, Violetpaw . . . I think you and Witch might have fun together.”

Surprised, Violetpaw exchanged a glance with Needletail, wondering why Darktail had chosen her. Then she stepped up to stand next to the kittypet.

Violetpaw took Witch with her to collect the remaining prey that she and Needletail had caught earlier, then spent the rest of the day showing them around what had once been ShadowClan territory. Together, they climbed a tree that overlooked the Twolegplace, or the “town”, as Witch called it, and Witch tried to work out which of the Twoleg nests was theirs. Violetpaw smiled as their strange eyes gazed across the Twolegplace, wide and sparkling. They warned Violetpaw about big dogs who lived in one of the nests nearby. Violetpaw asked them what a dog looked like, since she’d never seen one herself, and Witch told her of a savage, slobbering brute whose housefolk seemed unable to control. “It loved to chase cats,” they said. “Luckily, she’s too heavy to catch us!” But they also spoke of a short, sweet dog who lived with them and their housefolks. Witch had grown up with him since they were a kit. Violetpaw smiled at the thought of a kitten treating a pup as their brother.

Violetpaw thanked them for the warning, even as she thought:  _ I hope I don’t ever have to get too close to a dog. _ She tried to teach the kittypet some hunting techniques, and was impressed by how attentively Witch listened.  _ They might have made a good apprentice. _ Even though Witch didn’t catch any prey, and didn’t seem to know  _ anything _ , they never lost their enthusiasm or good humor. Violetpaw found herself enjoying their time together.  _ I feel kind of sorry for them,  _ she thought.  _ It must be so boring, being a kittypet. _

Still, Violetpaw realized that there were worse things than being bored.  _ We’re having fun . . . I could almost stop worrying about what Darktail is up to. _ But the apprehension that was gnawing at her belly wouldn’t entirely go away.

Finally, Violetpaw led Witch back to camp and brought them back to the fresh-kill pile together.

“I’ve never eaten an animal before,” Witch mewed, tucking in enthusiastically to the shrew they had chosen. “I _ love  _ it!”

Violetpaw’s eyes widened in surprise. “What do you eat, then?” she asked. “Grass, like the cows Needletail told me about?”

Witch let out a  _ mrrow _ of laughter. “No, my housefolk give me cat food to eat. They’re like hard pellets. They’re pretty tasty, but not as delicious as this shrew!

_ Pellets? _ Violetpaw thought.  _ Weird . . . and gross. It must be like eating mouse droppings.  _ She wished Witch didn’t have to go back to the Twolegplace, and could stay with the Kin always and be her friend.  _ But they’re a kittypet, and they’ve chosen to go back to their Twolegs. _

As Violetpaw was finishing the blackbird she had taken from the fresh-kill pile, Max and Loki padded up, escorted by Raven.

“Help yourselves,” the rogue meowed, waving her tail at the pile.

“Thanks!” Max replied, dragging out a vole and starting to gulp it down. “‘S good!” he exclaimed around a huge mouthful.

Loki was more hesitant, but after an encouraging prod from Witch, he began nibbling cautiously at a mouse. Raven watched for a few heartbeats, then withdrew to talk to Darktail, who was standing a few tail-lengths away.

“Have you had a good day?” Witch asked their kittypet friends. “Violetpaw showed me  _ everything _ ! It was  _ fantastic _ !”

Max nodded. “I’ve had fun.”

“I never knew how many of you there were,” Loki added. “And you have such a great place to live. I’m glad we got to see it.”

“Now  _ we’ve _ got stories to tell Minty!” Witch mewed with a wave of their tail.

“But we ought to be going now.” Max sounded reluctant as he swallowed the last bit of his vole. “It’s starting to get dark, and our housefolk will be looking for us.”

Loki gave a sharp mew. “Mine and Witch’s will probably try to feed us when we get back, but I’m so  _ full _ already.”

Witch gave a nod. “I’m still going to eat. Whenever I don’t, our housefolk get so worried. They just . . .  _ stare _ at me. I never like it when they do that.”

Relief crept through Violetpaw with the sky paling through dawn.  _ If the kittypets go now, then nothing bad will happen to them. _

“It was great showing you around,” she meowed to Witch. “Maybe I’ll come find you in the Twolegplace sometime.”

Witch’s eyes shined. “That would be—” they began enthusiastically, then broke off as Darktail looked up beside them.

“What’s all this talk about leaving?” the rogue leader rumbled. “We still have so much more to teach our new kittypet friends—isn’t that right, Violetpaw?”

The menace that glittered in Darktail’s eyes as he turned his head toward her told Violetpaw that she ought to agree with him. She could just manage a scared little nod, even though she wanted the kittypets to get out of the Kin territory and safely back to their Twoleg dens.

“Don't you want to stay with us?” Darktail asked. His tone was warm and friendly; Violetpaw could see that he was doing all he could to win over the kittypets. “You’re very welcome to.”

“Thank you, but no,” Max replied. “We really have to be getting back now.”

“Yes,” Loki added. “My housefolk kit likes me to sleep on her bed.”

Darktail looked surprised and a little offended. “Have you forgotten that you swore an oath of kinship to the cats here?” he asked.

“We did,” Loki replied, looking puzzled, “but how can we be part of your Kin when we’re not actually  _ kin _ to you?”

_ That’s a good question, _ Violetpaw thought.

Darktail’s voice was cold and calm as he replied. “The blood that bonds cats as kin is nothing compared to the blood a cat is prepared to spill to protect those around them. That means so much more, don’t you think?”

For a couple of heartbeats, the kittypets were silent, and Witch exchanged an uncertain glance with Violetpaw.

_ The blood a cat is prepared to spill? Is Darktail planning another battle? _

Then Loki shrugged. “I guess so,” he mewed.

“I just need you to stay for a few more days,” Darktail continued smoothly. “Tomorrow you’ll start learning how to fight, in case those fiendish Clan cats attack us again.”

At the idea of fighting, the kittypets looked even more uncertain. “Is that likely to happen?” Witch asked.

“Anything can happen,” Darktail responded.

“Well,” Max meowed after another moment’s hesitation, “I guess if it’s just for another day or two, we’ll stay. I remember once I got lost, and it took two days for me to find my way back to my housefolk. I’m pretty sure they won’t panic—as long as I’m not away from the den for too long.”

Loki and Witch both nodded. “Okay,” Loki agreed.

Violetpaw felt a twinge of anxiety in her belly. She remembered the night she had spent with the rogues when she was in ShadowClan, and how that had led to the rogues moving into ShadowClan territory.

_ What is Darktail planning now? _ she wondered.

Raven and Sleekwhisker padded up to escort Max and Loki to dens for the night, leaving Witch with Violetpaw.

“Come on,” Violetpaw mewed to her new friend. “I’ll show you where to sleep.”

“Goodnight,” Darktail purred, dipping his head and watching them as they went.

Violetpaw took Witch with her to the apprentices’ den.  _ Or what was the apprentices’ den, back when we  _ had _ apprentices and mentors. These days, most Kin cats sleep wherever they like. _

“This used to be Lioneye’s nest,” Violetpaw explained. “But you could stay here tonight.”

Witch blinked. They looked upset. “Could I sleep in your nest?” they asked. “I’m not used to sleeping alone.”

Violetpaw was surprised, but she nodded. Together, the two cats settled into Violetpaw’s nest of moss and bracken. Witch was soon asleep, curled up with their tail delicately laying over their nose and letting out tiny snores. But Violetpaw stayed awake as twilight deepened into night. It felt good to have Witch cuddled up next to her, reminding Violetpaw of the time she’d had Twigpaw with her in the ShadowClan camp. After Twigpaw left, her nest was always cold. Now, it was warm again.

But as she gazed up at the stars between the branches that overhung the den, Violetpaw’s anxiety still gripped her like a badger’s claw.

_ Why does Darktail want these kittypets? Why does he need more cats willing to spill blood for him? _


	13. Chapter Eleven

The early morning sunlight slanted through the trees, shedding blotches of golden light on the forest floor. Alderheart enjoyed the warmth of his fur as he scoured the ground outside the camp, sniffing at each clump of new growth. Now that his Clanmates’ injuries from the battle were beginning to heal, the medicine den was much quieter; Alderheart had taken the chance to restock the herb stores.

He spotted a tuft of comfrey, nipped off a few stems with his teeth, and headed back through the thorn tunnel into camp. As he passed the apprentices’ den, he hesitated for a moment, then padded over and stuck his head through the barrier of ferns that screened the entrance.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust from the strong sunlight outside, but then he could make out the mound of Twigpaw’s back where she lay curled deep in her mossy nest.

_ She was so disappointed yesterday, when Bramblestar decided not to send out a patrol to look for SkyClan,  _ he remembered.  _ She has always wanted to have blood kin in the Clan. I was disappointed, myself, but I can understand. There  _ is _ a lot going on with the Clans right now. _ He let out a long sigh.  _ Perhaps we can go look for SkyClan when we’ve dealt with the rogues. _

“Do you  _ really  _ think that the cat you saw in your vision could be my kin?” she had asked Alderheart then.

Alderheart could see the desperation in his eyes, so he didn’t say what he was thinking.  _ You already  _ have  _ kin, in ThunderClan, _ he wanted to tell her. She had kin in Lilyheart, Snowbush, and her foster siblings. Didn’t she see that? Instead he assured her: “Yes, I do. And even though Bramblestar can’t send out a patrol just yet, we are not going to ignore SkyClan.”

However, Alderheart had seen that Twigpaw was still upset when she went to sleep the night before. He wasn’t surprised that now she seemed to want to stay curled up in her nest for as long as possible.

Then a breeze stirred the ferns at the mouth of the den, and a beam of sunlight from the entrance struck the mound of Twigpaw’s sleeping form. Alderheart suppressed a gasp. He slid into the den, clawed the bedding aside, and realized that the heaped-up moss and leaves he was gazing at were no more than an empty lump. Twigpaw was gone!

Heart thumping, Alderheart drew back from the apprentice’s den and bounded across the camp.

_ You’re being stupid, _ he told himself.  _ She must be around here somewhere. _ But then he realized that Twigpaw must have deliberately piled up her bedding to make it seem as if she was still there.  _ She has to be hiding something! _

He skidded to a halt when he saw Snowbush with a rabbit from the night before in his jaws. “Have you seen Twigpaw?” he asked the ginger-and-white tom.

Snowbush blinked in surprise. “I was just about to go see her in the apprentice den,” he meowed around his prey. “Why? Is she not there?”

Alderheart’s heart was racing. “No, she’s not.” He blinked at him. “I was going to ask Briarlight and Jayflight . . .” Snowbush’s eyes narrowed and he nodded.

“I’ll look around camp,” Snowbush meowed, rushing off and dropping the rabbit back on the fresh-kill pile.

Brushing past the bramble screen into the medicine cats’ den, Alderheart found Briarlight doing her exercises, raising herself up on her forepaws while Jayflight, who had volunteered to help her that morning, supervised her.

“One more, and then rest,” Jayflight instructed her.

Briarlight obeyed, then let herself flop back into her nest. “Phew! I’m exhausted!” she panted.

Jayflight turned to face Alderheart, alerted by the sound of his fur brushing against the brambles. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Your breathing sounds as if you ran all the way from RiverClan. Is it the rogues?”

“No,” Alderheart responded, dropping his stems of comfrey. “It’s Twigpaw. She’s not in her nest. I thought she might be here.”

Jayflight shook his head. “Not since last night,” he replied. “You could go ask Leafpool. She was supposed to look over Twigpaw’s leg again later today. Maybe she’s just early.” As he turned to go, Jayflight added, “Don’t worry, Twigpaw will turn up.”

Hoping he was right, Alderheart left the den and scanned the camp for Leafpool. She was sitting near the Halfrock with Squirrelflight, Sparkstorm, and Lionblaze. All around him, the camp was waking up to the new day. A few warriors were emerging from their den, blinking in the strong sunlight, while the first of the hunting patrols was already returning, carrying their prey across the clearing to the fresh-kill pile.

Close to the pile, Alderheart spotted Berrynose and Goldenheart standing nose to nose, their shoulder fur bristling and Goldenheart’s tail bushed to twice its usual size. They were hissing at each other, clearly furious, though Alderheart couldn’t make out what it was all about. His heart sank at the thought of yet another argument between ShadowClan and ThunderClan cats.

He had decided that it was none of his business when he saw Purdy get up from where he was dozing in a patch of sunlight and thrust his way between the two quarreling cats.

“Stop it, stop it both of you,” he began. “This is no time for fightin’ among ourselves. We—”

Purdy broke off, then gasped out a few more words that Alderheart couldn’t understand. The plump brown cat’s limbs jerked and spasmed, and he fell to the ground, as if some cat had attacked him. But there was no attacker in sight.

Berrynose and Goldenheart sprang apart, letting out yowls of alarm. By then, Alderheart was racing across the camp, heart pounding harder than ever in panic. More cats gathered around, wailing in dismay or asking Purdy what was wrong. Alderheart had to push through the crowd to reach the old cat’s side.

“Keep back!” he snapped. “Let him breathe!” Turning to Berrynose, he added, “What happened?”

It was Goldenheart who replied. “We were arguing, and Purdy was trying to break it up. Then suddenly he said that one of his forelegs hurt, and he . . . he just collapsed.”

Alderheart crouched down and put his nose close to Purdy’s. The old tom’s eyelids were fluttering, but he was still conscious. Relief began to trickle through Alderheart.  _ Maybe he’ll be okay. _

“What’s wrong? Is your indigestion doing this?” Alderheart asked, remembering how the elder had been complaining of a bellyache. “How can I help?”

Instead of replying, Purdy began struggling to get up, then had to give in, flopping back onto his side. “Can’t . . . can’t manage it,” he gasped. “Hurts too much.”

Alderheart began to examine him, running his paws over Purdy’s chest and side, though he wasn’t sure what he was looking for. He could feel the old cat’s heartbeat, laboring and irregular, and fear gripped him deep within.

“I haven’t been feelin’ quite myself lately.” Purdy’s voice was weak, and he had trouble forcing out the words. “But I just thought . . . it was normal. I’m an old cat, after all, and I expected to get some aches an’ pains . . . I didn’t want to cause trouble, not with so much goin’ on.”

“Helping you wouldn’t have been any trouble!” Alderheart protested, trying to sound confident, away from the ring of anxious faces that surrounded him and the elder. “But don’t worry, Purdy. I’m going to help you now.”

_ It’ll only make things worse for Purdy if I admit the truth, _ he thought, fighting back panic.  _ I have no idea what’s going on, or what Purdy needs me to do _ .

“Leafpool!” he cried. The tabby medicine cat shoved through the crowd, her eyes round. She glanced at Purdy, standing beside Alderheart.

“I’ll be back,” she meowed, rushing toward the medicine den.

Alderheart’s fears peaked as he turned back to Purdy and saw a faraway look in his amber eyes. It was almost as if he had already crossed the border into StarClan territory. Yet, as he gazed up at Alderheart, he seemed as calm and good-humored as ever.

“You’re a good medicine cat, young ‘un,” he murmured. “You’ve got some big paw prints to fill, but I reckon you’re gonna be just fine.”

Then he let out a long sigh and lay motionless, his eyes still open as if he was gazing at something far away.

_ No! He can’t be dead! _ Alderheart backed away, every hair in his pelt rising up in denial of what he was seeing. “Purdy . . .,” he choked out.

Leafpool came back with Jayflight and Puddleshine beside her.

“What’s happening?” Jayflight asked.

“I don’t know,” Alderheart replied, forcing down the wail of a lost kit. “Purdy complained of indigestion earlier—and just now he said he had a pain in his foreleg. Then he collapsed, and . . . and he’s not breathing. But he has to be okay,” he finished, anguished. “Purdy can’t be gone!”

Jayflight bent over to examine the elder, sniffing carefully from his ears to his tail-tip. Then he shook his head sadly and reached with a gentle paw to close Purdy’s eyes.

“ _ No! _ ” This time Alderheart couldn’t suppress his wail of grief. “There must be something we can do,” he insisted. “Maybe we can chew up some chamomile, put it in his mouth, and rub his throat so he swallows. Maybe we can push his chest and make his heart start beating again!”

But when Alderheart reached out to touch one of Purdy’s legs, he could feel that it was already beginning to stiffen.

“Don’t, Alderheart.” Jayflight’s voice was sympathetic as he hooked a paw around Alderheart’s neck and pulled him away. “Purdy’s gone. He was very old and lived a long life, and now that life is done. You know this, Alderheart. Part of being a medicine cat is knowing when you have to let go.”

Alderheart stared at Purdy, who had been alive and speaking only moments ago—and now he lay dead on the ground, like a piece of prey. “I didn’t help him,” he whispered.

Jayflight touched his tail to Alderheart’s flank. “Sometimes you can’t.”

Alderheart shuddered, feeling waves of heat and cold pass through him.  _ Will I ever get used to seeing cats die? _ he asked himself.  _ Especially an elder like Purdy, who was such an important part of ThunderClan? _ He turned away, his head and tail drooping.  _ Purdy said I’d be just fine . . . but will I? _

\--------

Graystripe and Millie moved Purdy’s body to the center of the camp, where more of his Clanmates gathered around him to see him one last time, grooming his pelt to make him ready for burial. The rest of the Clan sat nearby, silently grieving as they waited for that night’s vigil to begin. The ShadowClan cats joined, too, sitting together at a respectful distance.

Alderheart felt like the fog of regret and sorrow that surrounded him would never lift. He padded quietly over to Bramblestar, who was sitting close to Purdy’s body, with Squirrelflight by his side.

“Dad,” he began hesitantly. “Purdy was never a warrior. Do you think he’ll be allowed to walk with StarClan?”

Bramblestar gazed at him, not replying for a moment. When he spoke at last, he didn’t seem to be answering Alderheart’s question. “We first met Purdy when we made the journey to the ocean,” he meowed. “He saved us from a dog, and then showed us where we could find food.”

Squirrelflight nodded. “I’ll never forget that. Without Purdy, we might not have made it to the meeting with Midnight—and without Her, we might never have known to leave the old forest and find our new home here.”

“When he came to join us,” Bramblestar went on, ”he fit into the elders’ den like he had always been living with us. He cared for Mousefur when she had greencough and had one paw in StarClan.”

By now, most of the cats who were clustered around Purdy’s body had turned to listen to their leader.

“He was always good with apprentices,” Ivypool put in. “Do you remember, in the Great Storm, how he looked after them and kept them out of trouble?”

“And he told the best stories!” Ambersky added.

“And he joined in when we fought against the Dark Forest,” Dovewing meowed.

“If I may speak—” Russetstar raised herself from where she was sitting “—I was never that close to Purdy, but he did try to make friends with me when I was deputy. He’d tell me stories of his life as a kittypet, and I’d tell him stories of ShadowClan. He knew of my rogue origins, and I think he wanted to bond over that.” She dipped her head. “Purdy seemed to be a good cat, I am very sorry for your loss.”

Squirrelflight blinked at her. “He may have been a kittypet once,” she meowed, “but he was a brave cat and a true member of ThunderClan.”

Bramblestar nodded, his amber gaze warm as he met Alderheart with a smile. “Alderheart,” he mewed. “Which of us deserves better than Purdy to walk with StarClan? I know he’ll be there, watching over us.”

“Thank you,” Alderheart whispered.

But Bramblestar’s assurance did little to ease Alderheart’s grief. He still felt as if there should have been something he could have done to save Purdy.  _ It’s okay to think that he’ll watch over us from StarClan, but he watched over us while he was  _ here _.  _ Sighing, he rose to his paws and padded back toward the medicine den.

Halfway there, he halted. The stress of Purdy’s death had driven everything else from his mind, but now he remembered what he’d been worried about when he found him.

_ Twigpaw . . . _

If she had come back to the camp, Alderheart knew she would have come out to pay her respects to Purdy.

_ That means she really must have left. And I have a horrible feeling that I know where she went. _

Alderheart turned and raced back to where he had left Bramblestar beside Purdy’s body. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” he murmured, so as not to disturb the other cats. “But this is an emergency. I need to talk to you.”

Bramblestar didn’t protest, but rose to his paws and gestured with his tail for Alderheart to follow him to a spot near the entrance to the warriors’ den, out of earshot of the grieving cats. “What is it?” he asked.

“Twigpaw is missing,” Alderheart announced. “I’m afraid that she may have gone out on her own to look for SkyClan and the cat who might be her kin. With her bad leg, I don’t know how far she could get . . .”

Bramblestar slid out his claws and dug them into the ground. “Great StarClan!” he exclaimed, exasperated. “Could Twigpaw have chosen a worse time to run away?” Then he shook his head, clearly trying to recover his calm. “We’ll send out a patrol to look for her,” he promised.

Bramblestar turned back to where the rest of his Clan was sitting. “Cats of ThunderClan!” he called, and as his Clanmates’ faces turned toward him, he continued, “Yesterday we decided that we would not send a patrol to look for SkyClan. But now, Twigpaw is missing, and Alderheart and I believe that is where she has gone—to find her kin. The journey is too dangerous for an apprentice traveling alone, especially with her leg so weak now. We must bring her back.”

Lilyheart’s eyes widened. “I noticed Honeyspots hadn’t returned from her hunt since early today. I was going to go look for her but then.” She glanced toward Purdy, then lowered her head, leaning into Leafshade. “Maybe she went to search for Twigpaw.” 

As she spoke, Ivypool sprang to her paws. “This is all my fault,” she mewed, her blue eyes filled with distress. “I spoke out against sending a patrol, and I know that upset Twigpaw. But I didn’t realize she would react like this. I should have known . . .,” she finished miserably.

“Don’t blame yourself,” Bramblestar meowed to the two she-cats. “We  _ all _ agreed that this was not the right time to search for SkyClan. No cat is responsible. All we can do now is send some cats out to look for Twigpaw, and Honeyspots if she’s not back soon, and bring them home safe.”

“I’ll go,” Snowbush, who was sitting next to Purdy beside his sister, Ambersky, offered immediately. “I must help find my daughters.”

“I want to go too,” Goldenheart meowed.

“And I do too,” Dovewing spoke up.

Ivypool stepped up beside her sister, her eyes narrow. “Dovewing should stay,” she meowed. “I’ll go. Twigpaw was my apprentice.”

Dovewing opened her jaws to argue, but Bramblestar cut her off.

“Thank you.” Bramblestar glanced around at his Clan. “Rosepetal, you can go too,” he decided. “You made the first journey with Alderheart, and you know the way to the barn where he saw SkyClan in the vision.”

“Of course, Bramblestar.” Rosepetal got up and padded over to join Snowbush, Ivypool, and Goldenheart.

The four cats dipped their heads to their Clan leader, then headed across the stone hollow and disappeared into the thorn tunnel.

Alderheart watched them go, thankful that they would look out for Twigpaw and bring her home safe. Then his belly twisted with worry as he remembered the huge Thunderpath that lay between their territory and the yellow barn.

_ She has to go that way, _ he thought anxiously.  _ I hope she remembers how to find the tunnel. _

And even if Twigpaw managed to cross the Thunderpath safely, there were more hazards on the other side. A young apprentice, all on her own, just wasn’t safe out there.

_ I know she would do anything to find her kin, but does she really know how terrifying a journey like that can be for a cat? _

Alderheart wanted to claw off his own fur when he remembered how distressed Twigpaw had been when they’d discussed SkyClan the night before. Miserable, he padded toward the medicine den. It was empty except for a shape that sat beside the pool in the back.

Puddleshine turned to him and gave him a small, sad smile. “Hey,” he murmured, swishing his tail as an invite to sit near him. Alderheart padded over to him, sitting beside him. “I heard about Twigpaw. How’re you feeling?”

Alderheart sighed. “I wish I had been more reassuring to her,” he mewed, “after Bramblestar said we weren’t going to find SkyClan.”

Puddleshine pressed closer and licked Alderheart’s ear with gentle, soothing rasps. “She’ll show up,” he promised. “She’s a tough cat.”

That didn’t lift Alderheart’s spirits, but he blinked at the ShadowClan medicine cat. “I’m glad you’re here,” he sighed, leaning into Puddleshine’s warmth. Anxiety still pricked at his stomach, making him feel sick. “Bramblestar says that Purdy’s in StarClan now, watching over us. But I still feel like I could have done something to save him. Is he really happier in StarClan than he was here?”

“I know what it’s like to lose a Clanmate.” Puddleshine stared down at the pool, his blue eyes reflecting back at him. Alderheart cringed. He hadn’t meant to make Puddleshine remember when blackcough infected his Clan and lost many of his warriors to the sickness. “I felt like it was my fault that they died. But I’m afraid there are cats we just can’t save. It’s a hard herb to swallow, but it’s the truth.” His eyes shone with sympathy for Alderheart.

Alderheart thought of Sandstorm, laying weak on the ground with her red, infected wound on her shoulder she’d gotten from fighting the foxes during the quest. His pelt still prickled when he thought of her, making his stomach hurt and his chest tight.

“Get some rest,” Puddleshine meowed, guiding Alderheart to his nest. Alderheart sank down into the warm moss and bracken, with Puddleshine beside him, grooming his pelt in an attempt to soothe him. Alderheart closed his eyes, exhaustion dragging him into sleep. That’s right, he had barely slept the night before, worried about SkyClan and Twigpaw. Now, with Puddleshine beside him, he fell into a deep sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw pale ginger fur where Puddleshine’s brown calico pelt should have been. He raised his head, catching familiar green eyes. He gasped, then smiled. “Sandstorm!” he exclaimed, pressing his forehead against his grandmother’s.

“It’s good to see you again,” she meowed, giving his nose a swift lick. “I’ve missed you a lot.” Her eyes softened as she blinked. Alderheart buried his nose into her soft pelt, breathing in her familiar scent. Even in StarClan, she smelled the same. “Puddleshine’s right, you know. Purdy’s death is not your fault.”

Alderheart’s heart dropped. “I know,” he sighed, though he still needed time to truly believe it. “Is he here now?” He glanced around, looking for the old tom’s brown pelt.

“He is.” Sandstorm laughed. “I saw him reuniting with Longtail and Mousefur moments ago. They’re happy to have their friend back. And he’s happy to see them again, too.”

Alderheart’s heart swelled. “I’m glad.” He laid his head on Sandstorm’s back. He’d grown since she had passed on to StarClan. He remembered when she visited him in the nursery, letting him curl up in her belly fur and sleep there. He was safe. But the thought of Twigpaw still nagged at him.

_ I’ve already lost one friend today, _ he thought, his heart heavy as he snuggled deeper into Sandstorm’s pelt.  _ Am I going to lose another? _


	14. Chapter Twelve

The sun had only just begun to slide down the sky, but Twigpaw’s back leg was aching. She couldn’t remember ever having been so tired and thirsty before.

Sneaking out of camp through the dirtplace tunnel had felt strange, and at every moment she had expected to be called back by Dewnose, who was on watch. Her feelings of guilt had increased with every stealthy pawstep, because she knew that Alderheart and Briarlight would be very worried when they discovered she was missing. She thought of Lilyheart and Snowbush and their frightened faces when they learned their daughter was missing.

_ But I might find SkyClan, _ she had told herself, summoning up the determination to keep going.  _ Blood kin, and I haven’t even met them yet. And if Alderheart and Ivypool, and Snowbush and Lilyheart cared so much about me, they would have made more of an effort to help me, wouldn’t they? _

Now Twigpaw picked up her pace, a twinge of pain throbbing through her leg at every pawstep. She had long ago crossed the top of the ridge beyond the horseplace, leaving the lake far behind. All the sights and scents were different here, and Twigpaw’s fur began to bristle at every unexplained sound in the undergrowth. She desperately tried to remember the route she had taken when Ivypool and Alderheart had gone with her to look for her mother.

_ I think I know the way to the tunnel under the Thunderpath. But after that . . . ? All I know is that Alderheart said that SkyClan had taken shelter in a barn, which I guess is a Twoleg dwelling . . . _

For a moment, Twigpaw feared she was being completely mouse-brained. She paused, wondering if the sensible thing would be to go back. She thought of running back to Lilyheart and Snowbush, apologizing for leaving them, and letting her mother and father hug her and groom her fur. But then her resolve hardened.

_ I need to be close to my blood kin more than ever now, because I don’t have Violetpaw anymore. I’m not going to think about my so-called sister ever again! I’ll have something else now . . . A father maybe. _

There was something inside Twigpaw that churned at the word  _ father _ . When she heard that word, she thought of Snowbush and Alderheart. But that wasn’t right. They weren’t her fathers. A  _ SkyClan  _ cat was her father. _ Right? _

_ They might be just as wonderful as Snowbush and Alderheart, _ she thought, trying to push the strange feeling away.

She set off again, thinking about the relationship Sparkstorm and Alderheart had with Bramblestar.  _ Sure, they disagree a lot, but a blind rabbit could see how much they love each other. _ Twigpaw’s heart ached. Alderheart had Sparkstorm and Squirrelflight  _ and _ Bramblestar, plus Squirrelflight’s other kits in ThunderClan.  _ They all know that their kin will be there for them, to look after them and guide them. _ Why couldn’t  _ she _ have that.

Just in front of Twigpaw, a stream crossed her path like a shining snake wriggling through the grass. The surface glittered in the sunlight, dazzling Twigpaw’s eyes as she stood on the bank looking down at it.

“I  _ hate _ getting my paws wet,” she hissed through her teeth.

Even the shallow stream that divided ThunderClan from WindClan reminded Twigpaw of the time she had nearly drowned in the lake. When she crossed that stream on the way to a Gathering, she had Clanmates around her who could help her if she got into trouble. Now she was alone.

Then Twigpaw imagined that her father was standing beside her.  _ Come on, Twigpaw! _ He might say.  _ You can do it! _

Twigpaw was so focused on him that she could almost hear his voice.

“Yes, I can!” she replied and waded out into the water with her head held proudly high.

She flinched at the sensation of cold water creeping through her pelt, rising higher and higher as she ventured deeper. The pebbles underpaw were slippery, and the current tugged at her, so she was afraid of losing her footing and being swept away. She put each paw down firmly, trying to ignore her racing heart.

The water grew deeper until it lapped and tugged at Twigpaw’s belly fur, then swiftly receded as she climbed up the streambed on the opposite side. Scrambling out onto the bank she gave herself a vigorous shake, glittering drops of water spinning away into the air.

“I did it!” she announced, pride flooding through her as she imagined her father’s nod of approval. Her heart twisted when, instead of the gray pelt Alderheart told her about, she imagined Snowbush’s white-and-ginger pelt as he meowed,  _ I knew you could. _ She shook herself, trying to imagine her real father instead.

But Twigpaw had barely taken a pace away from the stream when a sudden noise chased the happy thoughts from her head. It sounded like the barking of a fox—only it was much, much louder. The ground shook with the thundering of many paws.

Twigpaw tensed, and whirled to face the origin of the noise. Her jaws gaped in horror as she saw three enormous creatures bounding across the grass toward her. Their bodies were lean and muscular, with short, brindled pelts. Their eyes gleamed with menace, but what terrified Twigpaw most of all were their gaping jaws, with huge tongues lolling from a mouthful of sharp fangs.

For a heartbeat, Twigpaw froze. Then she spun around and began to run, ignoring the pain that clawed through her broken leg as she put as much weight as she could in it without stumbling.

_ Are those dogs? _ she wondered, pelting along with her belly fur brushing the grass. She remembered how Ivypool had warned her against the savage creatures that sometimes came with Twolegs to the forest.  _ I’ve never seen one before, let alone three . . . _

_ And they look very, very hungry! _

As she fled, Twigpaw picked up a dull roar ahead of her, growing louder until it rivaled the barking of the dogs. And she spotted the unnatural shiny flicker of monsters speeding to and fro.

Casting a terrified glance over her shoulder, Twigpaw saw that the dogs were gaining on her. She imagined that she could feel their hot breath on her hindquarters. Looking ahead again, she could see nothing that might help her except for a tree growing close to the Thunderpath.

Then she heard hissing behind her, and she turned to see a calico shape behind her. She gasped. She recognized that cat!  _ Honeyspots! _ The calico she-cat was on top of one of the dogs, which whimpered and snapped at her, grabbing one of her forelegs. She yowled in pain before gripping her teeth into its ear.

“What are you doing here?” Twigpaw yowled.

“Saving your sorry tail!” Honeyspots called back, scratching the dog’s snout.

The dog shook her off and raced away, leaving the other two alone. Honeyspots got to her paws and darted toward her sister, though it looked like the bitemark on her foreleg was hurting. Blood stained the grass. Twigpaw’s heart raced. That was a deep cut.

Twigpaw whipped around at the tree. She remembered what Ivypool had said to her moons before: “Dog’s are scary, but they’re pretty dumb, and too heavy to climb trees.”

Twigpaw blinked. It would be hard to climb with her bad paw, but she might be able to bring her and Honeyspots to safety.

“Honeyspots!” Twigpaw called to her sister’s attention, who was hissing in the middle of Twigpaw and the dogs, her pelt twice its size, and flicked her snout toward the tree. Honeyspots nodded firmly and leapt up onto the tree, gripping her claws into the bark. Twigpaw followed, her back leg not helping much.

Honeyspots’ eyes squeezed shut as she hauled herself up onto one of the branches, before turning to help Twigpaw up. Once Twigpaw was safe, she whipped around, snarling at the dogs. “Bark on, fleapelts!” she meowed triumphantly, her heart still racing with adrenaline. “You’re not eating us today!”

She looked back at Honeyspots as her sister groaned. “This really stings,” the calico warrior mewled, pain sparking in her eyes. “Does it look bad?” Twigpaw sniffed at it. It could get infected.

“Don’t worry, I can treat it,” Twigpaw meowed. Then she snapped her gaze up at Honeyspots’ blue-green eyes. “What are you doing here? I thought no cat saw me sneak out.”

Honeyspots gave a soft  _ mrrow _ of laughter. “I saw you sneaking out of the dirtplace tunnel when you thought no one was looking. I had just switched guarding shifts with Dewnose.” Then her eyes softened. “The real question is what are  _ you _ doing here? Is this about SkyClan?”

Twigpaw puffed out her chest. “It’s about my  _ kin _ ,” she huffed. “I could have kin there, you know?”

“You have kin in ThunderClan,” Honeyspots countered, her eyes narrowing. “You have our brother and sister, and mom and dad. And Alderheart.” Twigpaw’s heart ached as she thought of the medicine cat.

“They’re not my true kin,” Twigpaw explained, scanning the area, avoiding Honeyspots’ gaze.  _ I should find somewhere I can see better, _ she thought to herself.  _ I might even be able to spot the barn from Alderheart’s vision. _

What Twigpaw said seemed to really set Honeyspots off. “Of  _ course _ they’re your true kin!” she snapped. “ _ I’m _ your true kin. I’ve known you since we were kits. Does that really mean nothing to you.”

Twigpaw stared at Honeyspots for a moment, seeing pain in her eyes, then turned. “I’m going to find somewhere I can see better,” she voiced her thoughts, setting her paws down cautiously onto a branch that stretched out over the Thunderpath. On the opposite side of the harb black surface, she could see trees and undergrowth and Twoleg nests, but nothing gave her any idea of where to go next.

“I’m not finished!” Honeyspots snapped. “Being kin with someone has nothing to do with blood. I thought you knew that by now!”

Twigpaw didn’t answer. When she looked down, she could see the monsters roaring past her on the Thunderpath. Their fumes rose up to her like smoke, and she gagged on the acrid taste. The noise and the bright speeding colors confused her, and her head began to spin.

“Talk to me!” Honeyspots yowled. Twigpaw tried to focus on the Thunderpath, but she couldn’t. “Do you really think that just because our mothers and fathers aren’t the same means we’re not sisters?” She sounded hurt. But Twigpaw noticed her words were slurred, as if the loss of blood was making her dizzy as well.

Twigpaw whipped her head around to snap at Honeyspots, but that made her even more dizzy. Everything became a blur and her paws slipped off the branch. Letting out a yowl of alarm, she slid out her claws, and they raked across the branch.

“Twigpaw!” Honeyspots rushed forward. The branch broke underneath them. Twigpaw and Honeyspots shrieked. Twigpaw bounced off a lower branch, unable to see where Honeyspots was. Her scream was abruptly cut off as she thumped down onto the Thunderpath, the blow driving all the breath out of her. It was worse when Honeyspots thumped on top of her.

Looking up, dazed, Twigpaw saw a huge monster bearing down on them, screeching as it tried to come to a halt. Two Twolegs were trapped inside the monster’s belly. Their eyes were staring at their jaws wide open as if they were yowling.

_ They look terrified! _ Twigpaw thought.  _ The monster’s eaten them, and it’s still hungry! _

Her whirling brain had just formed the thoughts  _ Those poor Twolegs!  _ when the monster came rushing up at her and Honeyspots, and the whole world vanished into smothering darkness.


	15. Chapter Thirteen

Firefern tasted the air, unfamiliar scents wafting over her scent glands. Stormheart and Bellaleaf were on her tail, their ears perked. It had been three sunrises since they’d left the other SkyClan warriors to find the lake. They passed a few Twoleg houses the day before, but since then there’d only been a few strewn about. The sun was sinking toward the horizon, the light striking through the trees. Firefern prayed to see the Blood Trail at sunset, to prove StarClan was still watching over them. The deputy’s injured foot was aching, but she paid no mind to it. They couldn’t stop to treat it now.

Bellaleaf stopped. “We should hunt,” she meowed.

Firefern whipped her head around to her mate. “We hunted at sunrise,” she reminded her. “We can’t stop now, we’re almost there. I can feel it.” She stretched out her claws and dug them into the earth, as if to prove her point.

Stormheart snorted and sat down heavily, licking her paws. “You said that yesterday,” she told her sister. “And we only caught two scrawny shrews this morning, barely enough to feed all of us.” She got to her paws to have a long stretch. “I’m starved. It won’t take long, Fire, come on.”

Firefern squinted at the sun and sighed. “Fine,” she meowed. “But we have to keep moving until sunset.”

Bellaleaf and Stormheart shared an annoyed look, but agreed with a nod of their heads. “I’m gonna double back a bit,” Stormheart meowed. “I prefer moor hunting over forest hunting. See you in a bit.” She began to pad off, disappearing into the patch of trees they were in.

  
Firefern shared a glance with Bellaleaf, then lowered her head. Everything was still tense between the two of them. A deafening silence lay over them. Bellaleaf broke it: “I’m going to hunt up ahead,” she told her mate, blinking at her. “I’ll see you later.” They touched noses and Bellaleaf bounded into the forest.

Forcing herself not to linger on the awkwardness between her and her mate, Firefern tasted the air. There was the faint scent of squirrel in the air. She followed the trail to a tall tree. Crouching down, Firefern got ready to leap up onto the tree, only to flinch when a sharp pain flashed through her paw. Hissing, she tried her best not to put too much weight on the paw, but it made her leap clumsily and she almost didn’t make it to the first branch. Scrambling, Firefern hauled herself up. She tasted the air again. She glanced up to see the fluffy tail of the squirrel. Leaping again, Firefern grasped the tail between her teeth so it wouldn’t get away as she struggled to get on the branch.

The squirrel squealed, trying to rush away from the predator, but it was too late. Firefern killed it in a swift bite, lifting it in her jaws triumphantly. She then glanced at the sky. She lowered her head, wrapping her tail neatly around her paws.  _ Thank you, StarClan _ , she said to herself,  _ for giving us this life so it may feed me and my kin.  _ She kept her head low for a few heartbeats before getting back to her paws and beginning to make her way down the tree.

She stopped when she heard the call of a sparrow. She glanced around, seeing it nesting in another tree. It twittered at its nest. Firefern was about to leap over and catch it when she saw three tiny bird heads poke out, calling to the sparrow. Firefern hesitated.  _ They’ll die without their mother, _ she told herself, her pelt prickled. She sighed and leapt down to the forest floor, shaking out her fur.

_ I’ll find something else. _ She dropped the squirrel and scratched some of the earth over it, then continued her hunt. Sounds of life sang around her. Greenleaf was being kind to this forest. There wasn’t a predator in sight. Firefern may have been the first cat that squirrel had ever seen.

Her ears pricked when she heard the flapping of a bird. She caught sight of the brown feathers of a thrush. Nothing could guilt trip her now. She lowered herself to the forest floor and stalked forward, careful to put her paws down lightly. The bird had no idea she was there. It was fat on seeds and worms. Firefern prayed that her stomach didn’t growl.

Shifting on her back paws, Firefern got ready to leap. She gasped when the bird opened its wings, ready to take off. Hissing, Firefern shot forward and nearly pounced on it. It squawked, about to flutter away, when Firefern leapt up toward it and caught it between her paws. The bird’s cries were silenced when Firefern killed it. She panted as she held the thrush.  _ These should be enough, _ she told herself.

The deputy snatched up her prey and made her way to where she buried her squirrel. As she uncovered it, brown fur caught her eye. Sitting in plain sight was a big rabbit, nearly the size of a warrior. Quiet as a mouse, Firefern padded toward the prey. She made sure the wind was blowing toward her as she stalked it.

The rabbit’s ears perked, swiveling around, before it went back to sniffing around for food. Firefern padded closer and closer. She gasped when a twig snapped underpaw. The rabbit’s head perked and it stared at her before rushing off. Growling, Firefern gave chase.

Taking long strides, Firefern Ignored the pain in her paw. The rabbit bounded away, its white tail bobbing behind it. The ginger she-cat panted as she chased it. The rabbit swerved and disappeared into one of the bushes. Huffing, Firefern followed it in.

She felt soft fur under her claws and she nearly bit down on it when she heard the yowl of a cat. Shocked, Firefern rolled off the bundle of fur, her eyes wide when she recognized the ginger-and-white pelt of Twinepaw.

She blinked, her eyes narrowing. She grabbed him by the scruff and dragged him out of the bush. “What are you doing here?” she snapped at the apprentice, whose pelt was fluffed up to twice its size.

He glared at her. “I’ve been following you,” he sniffed, claws digging into the dirt.

Firefern gave him a skeptical look. “Why?” she asked, sniffing at his pelt. She didn’t hurt him.  _ Thank StarClan. _

Twinepaw’s eyes rounded and he looked at his paws. “I—I didn’t want to see my mother hurt anymore,” he meowed, unable to look the deputy in the eye. “I couldn’t handle another heartbeat of seeing her like that. So I followed you. I want to help find the lake.” He puffed out his chest.

Firefern’s heart softened. How would she feel if she had to watch her mother suffer and could do nothing about it? “How long have you been following us?” she asked, trying to keep up her cool demeanor.

“I tracked you down the day after you left,” Twinepaw meowed. “It was kinda hard, and I didn’t sleep the first night, but It was a lot easier when I got closer.”

Firefern couldn’t help but be impressed. Sure, Twinepaw was an older apprentice, and would probably be a warrior by now if Leafstar weren’t so preoccupied, but she didn’t expect him to be so good at tracking. She flicked her tail.  _ He should be punished for leaving without permission,  _ she thought. Then she sighed.  _ But I suppose he’s gone through enough, with his mother hurt.  _ “Alright, ‘paw, I’m not going to send you back,” she meowed, flicking his ear with her tail. “Just don’t try a stunt like this again, alright?”

Twinepaw’s eyes lit up and he nodded. “I promise!” he meowed, leaping to his paws. “You were after that rabbit, right? I can go catch it, if you’d like.”

Firefern snorted. “No need. I’ve got enough prey, plus Bellaleaf and Stormheart probably caught quite a few things themselves. Follow me.”

They made their way back to where Firefern’s prey sat and she picked up the squirrel, Twinepaw grabbing the fat bird. Firefern led him toward where Bellaleaf had left her, seeing the ginger-and-white tabby and Stormheart sitting beside their small pile of prey: two voles and another squirrel. Firefern bounded toward them, Twinepaw close on her tail.

Stormheart’s ears perked when she saw the apprentice. “What is he doing here?” she asked, getting to her paws, staring wide eyed at him.

“He followed us here,” Firefern explained as she dropped her prey.

Bellaleaf blinked, bemused. “Well, should we send him back?”

Firefern shrugged, her whiskers twitching. “I think we should congratulate the little bug,” she meowed, letting out a  _ mrrow _ of laughter when Twinepaw glared at her. “He followed us all the way here, a day after we left. I wouldn’t have been able to do that when I was his age.”

Stormheart looked thoughtful. “I suppose you’re right,” she meowed. “Don’t think Honeytail would be too happy if we sent her son all the way back to SkyClan on his own.”

The sisters glanced at Bellaleaf, who shrugged. “I’m fine with anything.”

“Alright, ‘paw—” Stormheart gave him a stern look, “—you have to listen to us. No dawdling. This is an important mission.”

Twinepaw’s face screwed up, his tail lashing. “I know that! I’ll be good, I promise.”

Firefern glanced at the horizon and sighed. The sun was already setting. It seemed they spent too much time hunting. “Let’s eat, then set up camp,” the deputy meowed. The four cats ate their prey, leaving only one of the voles left on the pile. Firefern licked her jaws as she finished the squirrel. “Alright, Twinepaw and Stormheart, go get some moss bedding. This is good a place as ever to rest.”

Stormheart nodded and padded into the bushes with Twinepaw close on her heels. Firefern cleaned away scraps of prey and twigs. She glanced at Bellaleaf, her ears flattening. Bellaleaf shuffled her paws, before giving her mate a small smile. “Would you like to share a nest?”

Firefern let out a small sigh of relief and nodded. “I’d love to.”

Bellaleaf padded closer and pressed her nose to Firefern’s. “I never meant to scare you,” she meowed, brushing her tail down Firefern’s side. “It’s okay if you don’t want kits. I really don’t mind.”

Firefern sighed. “I’m only scared for you, and our kits,” she told her. “I don’t want you to get hurt again.” Her eyes rounded. “After what happened last time.”

The orange-and-white warrior lowered her head, her eyes clouding over. “I understand. I was a bit of a wreck when we lost our kits. It was just so. Scary. But I want to try again. Maybe not now, but sometime in the future.”

Firefern took a deep breath. “Yeah,” she murmured. “That sounds nice.”

Bellaleaf brightened as she nuzzled Firefern, her tail twitching. “Thank you.”

Firefern leaned into Bellaleaf before jumping away from her when Twinepaw burst through the bushes, panting heavily. His eyes were wild, fur bristling. Bellaleaf leapt to her paws. “What’s wrong?”

Twinepaw caught his breath. “Twolegs have Stormheart.”

“Twolegs?” Bellaleaf looked shocked. “We haven’t passed a Twoleg house since this morning.”

“Show us where she is,” Firefern ordered.

Twinepaw led the two she-cats to Stormheart. They skidded to a halt when they saw two Twolegs standing around a cage. Cowering inside, Firefern saw the cream tortoiseshell pelt of her sister. The Twolegs didn’t seem to be paying attention, barking at each other. Firefern snuck around them. Stormheart stared at her with wide eyes as she approached the cage. “I’ll get you out,” she promised her sister, scanning the cage.

This wasn’t like any cage she’d seen before. Usually, she’d be able to claw at a catch and force it open, but this was different. Firefern’s heart thrummed in her chest, fear gripping at her. Stormheart glanced up at the Twolegs. “Just go,” she hissed.

“I can’t,” Firefern mewed, staring at her sister with wide eyes. “I can’t leave you behind. We can’t lose you.”

Stormheart opened her jaws, but was cut off when Bellaleaf yowled. The Twolegs were surrounding them. One of them reached down to grab Bellaleaf, but the orange-and-white she-cat swiped at them, hissing. “You have to leave!” Stormheart snapped. “I won’t be gone forever.”

Firefern stared at her sister before glancing at the Twolegs. One of their arms was bleeding, the other was trying to snatch Twinepaw. Twinepaw yowled when they grabbed him. She growled to herself. “Okay.” She blinked at her sister. “I’ll be back for you, I promise.”

Firefern launched herself at the Twoleg who had Twinepaw, slashing at their leg and nipping at them. They shouted and dropped Twinepaw; the apprentice rushed into the bushes, his fur bushed out. Firefern pressed against Bellaleaf and they followed Twinepaw. Firefern glanced back one last time at Stormheart.  _ I’ll come back, _ she silently promised, praying it was true.


	16. Chapter Fourteen

Violetpaw thanked StarClan that the shade of the pine tree branches were shading her from the hot sun. Plus, the semi-wet earth beneath her was keeping her paws cool. After Rain ran away, the Kin was becoming more and more on edge, especially Darktail. A few warriors had disappeared in the last quarter moon: Rippletail and Snowbird, then Snakepaw disappeared a few nights before. Wasptail and Grassheart were still looking for their kit, but it seemed they were starting to give up.

In the same quarter moon, Needletail and Darktail decided Cloverfoot, a young, but loyal warrior, would be Violetpaw’s new mentor. When she was sick with blackcough, Cloverfoot seemed so small and weak in her nest, but now that she regained her strength, her pelt was full and healthy again, barely showing her ribs anymore.

Cloverfoot was an excellent mentor, though Violetpaw still missed Dawnpelt. It was for the best, she guessed, that Dawnpelt had kits now; she was coping well after the death of Crowfrost. Violetpaw could see Crowfrost in Magpiekit as he grew bigger and bigger. Speaking of the kits, their eyes and ears had fully opened in the last quarter moon. 

Stalkkit and Skunkkit were growing as well as their brother, big and strong like Dawnpelt. Magpiekit was the only one who seemed to be stunted like their father. Skunkkit seemed to be eager to leave camp and, much to Dawnpelt’s dismay, Darktail was egging her on to explore outside of ShadowClan’s camp. Violetpaw decided to keep a close eye on the kits, and it seemed Strikestone did as well. He was always with them nowadays,

“Violetpaw!” Cloverfoot called her apprentice to the front of the patrol. To one side of her was Grassheart and Sparrowtail, both of whom sat down heavily and began talking in hushed whispers, and to the other side was Witch and Loki, who were staring at Violetpaw with round-eyed admiration. Violetpaw’s heart lurched when she saw a barely noticeable missing patch of fur above Loki’s eye. Sleekwhisker was too tough on him. Would she treat her apprentice like this if she ever got one?

Violetpaw picked up the pace and stood beside Cloverfoot, looking up at the gray tortoiseshell she-cat. Cloverfoot blinked at her. “Tell me, Violetpaw, if I were to find a crow, how would I catch it?”

Violetpaw didn’t hesitate, she knew the answer right away. Dawnpelt had taught her about crows: one of the bigger birds in the forest, harder to hunt if you don’t know the right technique. “You have to be as quiet as possible,” she began, imagining that there was a crow in front of her now, “pad up behind it, in a shadow if possible. Once you’re close enough, leap onto it and disable its wings. Then, deliver the killing bite.”

Cloverfoot smiled at her apprentice, and Violetpaw felt pride flow through her. “Very good,” she mewed, dipping her head to Violetpaw. “If this heat goes away tomorrow, maybe we will be able to find some good prey like crows.” She sighed. “I’m glad we don’t have any medicine cats around to make a big deal out of those things. I caught one as an apprentice and Littlecloud threw a fit, saying it was an omen of death.”

Witch’s eyes widened with shock. “Did any cats die after you caught it?” they asked.

“Of course not,” Sparrowtail snorted. “Those are just kit tales, made up to scare us.”

Witch looked confused, but they didn’t say anything more. Violetpaw heard some warriors speaking of crows when she was a kit. Creepy, black birds that cried like a dying cat, showing medicine cats that something wicked was coming. Whenever Pinenose told her stories of the death-bringing birds, shivers shook down Violetpaw’s spine. To be honest, as a kit, she’d hope she’d never see a live crow in her life.

Violetpaw changed the subject from the black birds: “Are we going to battle train anytime soon?” she asked her mentor. In the short time span Cloverfoot had been training her, she showed Violetpaw no battle moves whatsoever. When Dawnpelt was her mentor, she didn’t hesitate to show her moves that could potentially save her in a battle.

The nervous flash in Cloverfoot’s green eyes caught Violetpaw off guard. Her stomach churned. Did Cloverfoot not trust her? “We can work on those soon,” she meowed slowly. “For now, we must focus on feeding the Cla— the Kin.” She looked up at the sun, squinting against the bright light. It was nearly sunhigh.

Sparrowtail stepped forward. “Violetpaw, why don’t you take Witch and Loki to the lake?” he asked, his mew cool. Violetpaw turned her gaze on the silver tom. Needletail had a lot to say about her father, never anything good, mind you. Now that she’d heard the stories of Sparrowtail being such a neglectful father, Violetpaw didn’t quite like him either.

“Why?” the black-and-white apprentice asked. “I thought I was going to hunt with you and Cloverfoot today.” Had they changed the plan while she wasn’t listening?

“We just thought it would be best for the newcomers to get to know the territory a little better,” Grassheart spoke up, getting to her paws. Her tabby pelt was thin, clinging to her skinny body, which used to be plump. Was she not getting enough to eat? Worry for the former queen made anxiety wash over Violetpaw.

She thought about arguing, but decided against it when she saw the hostile spark in Sparrowtail’s eyes. Dipping her head to the three warriors, Violetpaw beckoned for the kittypets to follow her. “Good luck!” Cloverfoot called after them. “You can eat whatever you catch when you return.”

Violetpaw led Witch and Loki in the direction of the lake. The terrain sloped downward as they went, the trees thinning out. Loki stuck his tongue out in disgust when they reached the marshes, his paws sinking into the slimy earth. Witch didn’t seem to care. They were taking in the scenery around them, their eyes wide as they looked around.

Violetpaw noticed that Witch was chattering to themself. The strange tabby always seemed to be murmuring something under their breath, as if talking to another cat entirely. Sometimes, Violetpaw caught Witch staring at her with wide eyes, as if waiting to tell the apprentice a secret.

Still, she enjoyed the quirky cat’s company. They were kind and pretty, and their green and gold eyes always softened when they looked at Violetpaw. Their time spent sleeping in the apprentices' den together was always nice. Witch’s fluffy fur warmed Violetpaw through the entire night, and now, Violetpaw no longer woke to nightmares.

Loki was walking beside Witch, green eyes wide as he sniffed at the marshy earth. He sputtered and sneezed when water got up his nose. Witch snorted and pressed against their friend, asking if he was okay.

Violetpaw stopped when they reached the end of the forest; the lake sparkled through the trees in front of her. She turned to Loki and Witch. “There’s most likely going to be frogs and toads in this area,” she explained, shaking her paws of the wet dirt. “You can explore a bit, but don’t stray too far.”

Loki nodded and began to pad in the direction of ThunderClan territory, keeping his pawsteps quiet like Sleekwhisker had taught him. Violetpaw’s ears perked when she saw another scar in his fluffy fur. Sleekwhisker was being much too rough with him. Maybe she could talk to Darktail about it. Sure, he was a menace, but he seemed to be kind to the new kittypets.

Witch didn’t seem interested in catching toads. Instead, they trotted off toward the lake, sitting in front of it and staring into the water. Not wanting to disturb them, Violetpaw watched from a distance. She flinched when Witch shot out their front paw, snatching a minnow from the water. It flopped on the pebbly beach before they leaned over and finished it off with their teeth.

“How’d you do that?” Violetpaw asked as she joined Witch’s side, staring wide-eyed at the fish. She’d never eaten it before, but she heard Pinenose talking about how gross RiverClan cats were for eating them.  _ Slimy little monsters, _ she’d say, wrapping her slick tail around Violetkit as they watched Lionpaw, Slatepaw, and Birchpaw train.

Witch smiled at her, setting the minnow down beside them. “It’s pretty easy,” they meowed. “I met a cat who taught me how to do it in the river near my house. All you have to do is sit over the water, make sure you’re not casting a shadow over it, and then scoop out the fish when you see them. You’ll probably only find minnows in the shallows here, though.”

Violetpaw nodded and sat beside Witch, making sure to do what they said. It was just after sunhigh, so their shadows didn’t show on the water. She watched the lake ripple against its shore. She tensed when she saw a fish. Following Witch’s instructions, she flashed out her paw and tried to scoop it out.

But she only scooped up water, splashing it into Witch’s face. The tabby yelped and shook out their fur. “I’m sorry!” Violetpaw gasped, hopping to her paws.

Instead of saying anything, Witch splashed their paws into the water, spraying it onto Violetpaw’s pelt as well. “Mousebrain!” the kittypet purred, their eyes sparkling.

Violetpaw shot her an amused glance, feigning anger. “You’re the mousebrain,” she laughed, shaking out her pelt so water drizzled on Witch.

“Okay, okay!” Witch cried out, leaping away from the droplets. “I surrender.”

Violetpaw purred, her pelt warming as Witch stuck out their tongue. “I suppose I’m better at catching mice and birds than fish,” she mewed, giggling when she saw Witch’s fur spike up with wet.

“I’ve seen you catch a frog,” Witch meowed, their eyes sparkling. They brushed one paw over their ears and head to flatten the wet fur, then shook their pelt out thoroughly. “You’re a really talented hunter.”

Hot embarrassment flooded over Violetpaw at the cat’s praise. “Thank you,” she mewed, sweeping her tail across the earth behind her. Clearing her throat, Violetpaw turned back toward the forest. “I’m going to hunt land-prey then. I’ll see you in a bit.”

“I’ll be here,” Witch called after her. Violetpaw flicked her ear in acknowledgement. She really enjoyed Witch’s company. Maybe too much. She shuddered, reminding herself how much danger the kittypets were in for staying with the Kin.

\--------

After catching a toad and a vole, Violetpaw headed back to where she left Witch. There was a small pile of two minnows and a shrew beside them. Violetpaw set down her catches beside Witch’s. “Is Loki back yet?” she asked, looking around for the black tom.

“I’m right here!” Loki called, striding up to the two cats. In his jaws was a fat squirrel and another vole, scrawnier than Violetpaw’s one.

“I’m going to look for the rest of our patrol,” Violetpaw told them, blinking at Witch. “Could you bring my prey to camp? I don’t want it to get stale while I search for them.”

Witch nodded and picked up as much of the prey as they could carry. Loki grabbed her vole, then began to make his way back to camp. Witch brushed against Violetpaw. “See you at camp,” they purred, their mew muffled by the prey. “I’ll save you a piece of fresh-kill, I promise!”

Violetpaw blinked at them, watching them disappear into the forest behind Loki. After they were both gone from sight, she made her trek toward where she had left Cloverheart, Grassheart, and Sparrowtail. Once she reached the small clearing, she was surprised to see them gone. Their scent was still there, though it was faint.

Putting her nose to the ground, Violetpaw began to follow the scent of her mentor through the forest. It was difficult when she reached the marshes, but eventually she was able to tell which way they were heading: the RiverClan border.

_ Why would they need to go that way? _ Violetpaw wondered, continuing to follow their scent, apprehension making her pelt prickle. As the land sloped downward, their scents got stronger and she heard their voices. Her heart stopped when she heard another voice she didn’t recognize.

Breaking through the trees, Violetpaw froze. Cloverfoot, Grassheart, and Sparrowtail were in front of her, and beside them was Mistystar, Duskfur, and Petalfur. Violetpaw stared at the RiverClan leader, then at Cloverfoot, then back again. She slowly backed away. “What are you doing here?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Sparrowtail’s eyes narrowed when he saw her. He got to his paws and unsheathed his claws, digging them into the earth. “You weren’t supposed to see this,” he growled.

Violetpaw backpedaled, running into one of the trees.  _ Should I get Needletail or Darktail? Should I try to fight them? _ Her thoughts whirled. Blood. The battle between the Kin and the Clans. The screeches of terror. Twigpaw, backing away from her, fear,  _ hurt _ in her eyes. Rain. Darktail ripping her eye out. Bile rose in Violetpaw’s throat and she forgot how to breathe.  _ Will they do that to me? _

“Don’t hurt her!” Cloverfoot ordered Sparrowtail, stepping in front of her frozen apprentice. “I know Violetpaw. She won’t betray us.” The torbie turned to Violetpaw, green eyes wide. “We’re speaking with Mistystar to see if we can sneak Dawnpelt and her kits into her camp.”

Mistystar stepped forward. Violetpaw glanced at the RiverClan leader, getting dizzy, her pelt bristling along her spine. Did she not trust Violetpaw either? Would she get hurt? “Dawnpelt would be safe in RiverClan,” she meowed. “Darktail seems to have no grudge against us. No harm will come to her while she’s there.”

Violetpaw blinked, confused. “Why are you plotting against Darktail?” she asked Sparrowtail and Cloverfoot. “Sparrowtail, you were one of the cats who  _ wanted _ him to be our new leader. You said Russetstar and Rowanclaw were weak.”

Cloverfoot answered. “We’re not plotting against anyone,” she meowed. “We don’t want any trouble, we just want Dawnpelt’s kits to be safe.”

Sparrowtail, however, lowered his head, eyes slits now. “I was wrong about Darktail,” he meowed slowly, his tail lashing. “He is no leader, he’s a tyrant. Bringing in so many aggressive rogues and dumb kittypets.” Violetpaw felt as if she should defend Witch, but she decided against it when Sparrowtail continued: “I no longer want to bow down to Darktail. Now, I want to tear him down, and help the cats who agree with us and don’t want to be part of the Kin anymore.”

“Mistystar says she’d be happy to help any cat who needs it, especially kits,” Cloverfoot meowed. “It’s our best bet to bring the weaker, defenseless cats to RiverClan until they can fight alongside us, if need be.”

Violetpaw thought for a moment. Her thoughts were spinning. She wasn’t expecting this to happen. She thought these cats were loyal to Darktail.  _ Am  _ I _ loyal to him? _ She glanced up at Cloverfoot and Grassheart, then thought of Dawnpelt back home, who had the worst chance of getting hurt.

“I didn’t want to get you into this,” Cloverfoot continued, “but I must ask you to keep it a secret.”

When the bushes rustled behind them, Mistystar flicked her tail to Duskfur and Petalfur. The RiverClan cats slipped into the lake, disappearing under the water. Violetpaw whipped her head around. But all that came out was a single, black crow. Its beady eyes stared at the warriors, then it cried out and beat its wings, rising itself into the sky.

Violetpaw’s pelt was prickling along her spine. She didn’t know what would happen if she did tell Darktail about Dawnpelt leaving. She could be hurt or, worse, her  _ kits _ could be hurt, even killed. “Okay,” she meowed, her voice trembling. “I’ll keep your secret for you.”


	17. Chapter  Fifteen

Needletail twitched in her nest, digging her claws into the moss and bracken. She was dreaming. She glanced around the familiar pine forest she was in; little to no light was breaking through the canopy of pine needles and branches. The forest was cold, fog was collecting around her paws. Her ears perked when she saw a shape in the distance, and the gray pelt of Rain, padding in the opposite direction.

Her heart lifted and she rushed forward. “Rain!” she called, quickening her pawsteps when Rain didn’t stop. “Wait up!”

If Rain could hear her, she wasn’t listening. Needletail huffed, her tail lashing a bit. “Rain, you big mousebrain, slow down.” She smiled when Rain stopped and turned to her. The silver she-cat caught up to her mate and nuzzled her, giving a loud purr. “I haven't seen you in awhile, where’ve you been?”

Rain’s one green eye was narrow as she stared down at Needletail. Needletail’s smile dropped. “Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?” Her heart wrenched. “Are you mad at me or something?”

Rain stayed silent, only staring at her with a cold glare. Needletail’s fur bristled and she shoved Rain. “What’s wrong, what did I do?” Her voice hitched. “Why did you leave? Were you sick of me or something?”

Rain lowered her head, before turning away from Needletail and beginning her trek back through the pine forest. Anger flashed through Needletail, her teeth baring. “Fine! Leave, I don’t care!” she hissed, unsheathing her claws. “I don’t need you, I don’t need anyone.”

She slumped over, staring at her paws, tears stinging in her eyes. Hissing, she scored her sharp claws across the earth, tearing up clumps of grass and pine needles. “What did I do wrong?”

Needletail jolted awake. It was the middle of the night, and all the warriors and rogues were sleeping around her; she could hear Darktail’s snores from here. Her nest was cold and she couldn’t get comfortable. Getting to her paws, she padded out of the den and toward the apprentices’ den, where Violetpaw was sleeping with Witch.

She wasn’t proud of it, but Needletail was jealous of the kittypet. Violetpaw seemed to like them a lot, spending all her time with them. Witch was a good cat, Violetpaw was in good paws. But still, Needletail didn’t want to lose her apprentice friend . . . would Witch take Violetpaw away from her?

Still, Violetpaw had been kind to Needletail since Rain ran off. She was understanding and listened to her friend when she needed to talk. Needletail was lucky to have such a good cat in her life.

She froze when she saw a shape in the apprentices’ den. There was a cat standing in the entrance, too big to be an apprentice or one of the kittypets. Silently, Needletail slipped over to the den, hiding behind brambles and pricking her ears to listen to what the cat was saying.

She recognized the pale tortoiseshell fur of Dawnpelt, her voice soft as she spoke. “I’m leaving,” she whispered.

“What?” That was Violetpaw’s voice, louder than Dawnpelt’s. When her former mentor hushed her, Violetpaw lowered her mew to a murmur. “Tonight? I thought you were planning to leave on the full moon?”

Needletail blinked, surprised. Did Violetpaw know that Dawnpelt was going to be leaving them? If so, why didn’t she tell Needletail? She dug her claws into the earth.  _ I bet she told that kittypet . . . _

“Come with me, Violetpaw.” Needletail tensed when Dawnpelt said that. She leaned closer, willing violetpaw to answer. Silence made Needletail’s panic rise more and more, until Violetpaw finally answered.

“I can’t,” she meowed firmly. “I can’t leave Needletail behind again.”

Needletail’s heart softened.  _ She does care about me. _ She slunk back farther into the shadows when Dawnpelt backed out of the den. She turned to the nursery, where she saw Sparrowtail, Cloverfoot, and Berryheart padding out of the den with Stalkkit, Skunkkit, and Magpiekit in their jaws. Dawnpelt bounded over to her Clanamteswith grace, gave one of her kits a swift lick over their ears, and made her way to the entrance.

“Where are we going?” Stalkkit squeaked, wriggling in Sparrowtail’s jaws.

“Hush,” Cloverfoot murmured. “We’re going somewhere safe.”

“Is Strikestone coming?” Magpiekit asked, glancing toward the warriors’ den, where his brother was sleeping.

“I’m afraid not.” Grassheart gave Sparrowtail a sad glance before hurrying toward the entrance behind Dawnpelt.

Once they disappeared, Needletail slid out from her hiding spot. Should she tell Darktail what she had heard? She dug her claws into the dirt. She glanced at Darktail’s den, then back at the apprentices’ den.  _ I’m sorry, Violetpaw, _ she thought, turning to stride over to Darktail’s den.  _ I need to keep Darktail’s trust, especially after Rain betrayed him. _

In the leader’s den, Darktail was asleep, curled into a tight ball, his tailtip touching his nose. Gently, Needletail nudged him with her paw. He jolted awake, unsheathing his claws and whipping his head around to glare at the intruder. When he recognized Needletail, he relaxed, but didn’t sheathe his claws again.

“Needletail,” he meowed, blinking slowly at her, a wary look in his eyes. “What do you want? It’s the middle of the night.”

Needletail dipped her head low to her leader. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Darktail, but I have urgent news.”

Darktail sniffed, examining his long claws. “Out with it then. I was having a good dream, you know.”

Needletail raised her head. “I saw Dawnpelt and three other warriors sneaking out with her kits.”

Darktail’s ears flattened, ice eyes narrowing. A sharp cold pricked at Needletail’s pads as she stared into his blue eyes. “Who was with her?” he asked, getting to his paws.

Needletail followed him out of the den. “Cloverfoot, Sparrowtail, and Berryheart.” Her pelt prickled at the mention of her mother and father. What would happen to them now that she’s told Darktail about their treachery? She sniffed, unsheathing her claws.  _ They’ll get what they deserve. _

“Fetch Juniperfang, Thistle, Sap, Sleekwhisker, Strikestone, and Violetpaw,” Darktail ordered.

Needletail’s heart leapt in her throat at the mention of her friend.  _ I can’t let her find out I’ve betrayed her! _ Violetpaw might leave her again if she found out about this. Plus, both her mentors were on that patrol. She didn’t want to force the apprentice to choose between her Kin and her friends. “Violetpaw’s sleeping,” she told him. “She’s had a long day of training. Perhaps Raven instead?”

Darktail’s eyes narrowed to slits at the mention of Rain’s sister. “No,” he hissed. “Let Violetpaw rest, then. Get Beenose instead. We can trust  _ her _ .”

Needletail nodded and rushed over to the warriors’ den. She skidded to a halt when Sleekwhisker stepped out, her pelt already groomed. Her green eyes were narrow, but they widened innocently when she saw Needletail. “Hello, Pine Needle,” she purred, her mew silky. “I already saw what you’re here for. Did Darktail send for me to take care of the traitors?”

Needletail brushed past her, unnerved when she saw her wide stare follow her. “Yes. He also asked for some of his rogues, Juniperfang, Strikestone, and Beenose.”

Sleekwhisker nodded, her silky tail brushing Needletail’s muzzle. “First Rain, now your parents, hm?” Needletail whipped her head to glare at her. She was staring at the apprentices’ den where Violetpaw was sleeping, a threat in the green. “Maybe we should keep a closer eye on the cats you’re close to, Pine Needle.”

Needletail hissed and shoved her tail from her nose. “Violetpaw won’t betray anyone here!” she growled, digging her claws into the pine needles underpaw.

The innocence returned to Sleekwhisker’s eyes. “I never said anything about Violetpaw,” she mewed, trotting off toward Darktail, greeting him with a flick of her ear. Needletail spat in her direction, then slipped into the warriors’ den, waking each cat one by one.

Thistle, who had been sleeping near the back of the den, nearly tore Needletail’s ear off when she was shaken awake. Juniperfang wasn’t happy either. Beenose, however, happily stood from her nest she shared with a newcomer, Pepper, and joined the others outside.

“Strikestone,” Needletail hissed, jabbing the black-and-white tom in the side. He snorted when he woke, lifting his head and giving Needletail a tired blink.

“Is it morning already?” he yawned, stretching. “I promised the kits I’d take them on a walk today.”

Needletail shook her head. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” she told him. “It’s the middle of the night. I saw Dawnpelt sneaking out with the kits and a few other warriors.”

Strikestone’s eyes widened with worry. He got to his paws and rushed out of the den, his tail trailing behind him. Needletail followed him to Darktail. “What are we going to do?” he asked, his tail bushed. “We’re not going to hurt them, are we?”

Darktail didn’t even look at Strikestone, slinking toward the entrance of camp. “We’ll do what we need to to make them realize they’ve made a mistake,” he meowed ominously.

The entrance tunnel still smelled of the four cats. They didn’t do a good job of hiding their scents. Needletail and the others trailed behind Darktail as he sniffed the earth, following the scent of the traitors. “The trail is leading toward RiverClan territory,” Sleekwhisker announced.

“They must be dropping the kits off there,” Strikestone meowed. He looked hopeful, as if he was glad they were bringing the three kittens to RiverClan. Needletail’s tail flicked; Strikestone wasn’t as loyal to the Kin as Juniperfang and Sleekwhisker. She glanced at the two aggressive warriors, who were racing after Darktail with long strides of their legs. What would happen between them and their kin tonight?

When they reached the RiverClan border, near the lake, Darktail signaled his cats to be silent, peering through the bushes. Needletail strained to see what her leader saw. There stood Cloverfoot, Berryheart, Dawnpelt, and Sparrowtail, the kits hanging from their jaws. Four RiverClan cats, Ploverheart, Sneezecloud, Shimmerpelt, and Duskfur stood beside Dawnpelt, speaking in low whispers.

“We’ll take good care of them,” Shimmerpelt promised Cloverfoot, taking Stalkkit from her.

Stalkkit squealed, her eyes wide with fear. “Momma!” she yelped, wriggling and reaching for her mother. “Who are these cats? I wanna go home!”

“Sh,” Dawnpelt soothed, licking Stalkkit’s head. We’re going to find a new home in RiverClan. A place better than the last.”

“They smell funny,” Magpieit commented when he was passed over to Ploverheart.

“Don’t be mean,” Berryheart told him, giving Skunkkit to Sneezecloud. The RiverClan tom’s eyes were sparkling as he took the kitten, though she squealed in defiance. “You’re going to live with them for a while.”

“Are we going to have to eat fish?” Magpiekit asked. “Strikestone told me that’s what RiverClan cats eat. Are fish like frogs?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Duskfur told him, turning toward the river. Before she could slip in, a screech pierced the air.

“Kin, attack!” Darktail roared, bursting out of the bushes and tackling Shimmerpelt. Stalkkit yelped in fright when she was thrown from the silver she-cat, thumping to the ground with a pained yowl for her mother.

Adrenaline pumped through Needletail’s veins as she followed her leader, bowling into Cloverfoot. They rolled across the ground until Cloverfoot pinned her down, her green eyes blazing with fury. Needletail swallowed back a yelp when the gray torbie slashed her cheek with her claws. Meanwhile, Thistle had Dawnpelt pinned to the ground.

Shimmerpelt hissed and scratched Darktail’s face, pummeling his stomach with her back paws. Darktail, though he looked winded, kept a strong grip on the RiverClan cat. Shimmerpelt squirmed, unable to get out from underneath him. “Duskfur!” she cried. “Take Stalkkit, take the kits back to RiverClan!” She yowled when Darktail dug his fangs into her shoulder.

Duskfur leapt forward and grabbed Stalkkit from where she fell, then flicked her tail to her warriors to follow her. They slipped into the lake, swiftly swimming away before any of the Kin could get them.

As Needletail watched the RiverClan cats escape, frozen from where she sat, Cloverfoot leapt off of her and rushed to help Dawnpelt with the muscular rogue. “Run!” she cried to Dawnpelt when she tore Thistle off, hissing in the she-cat’s face.

Dawnpelt got up and shook herself, racing toward the RiverClan border. Sleekwhisker hissed and chased her. Juniperfang on her tail. They both tackled their mother, dragging her to the ground. She stared at her kits, fright in her eyes. “What are you doing?” she cried, trying to pull away from them.

Sleekwhisker’s eyes narrowed, digging her claws into her mother’s pelt. “You betrayed Darktail,” she growled. “You betrayed  _ us _ .”

“I betrayed no one!” Her eyes turned hard with anger. “I was only trying to protect my kits.”

“We’re your kits as well!” Juniperfang snarled, digging his teeth into her scruff. She screwed up her eyes in pain. “You were planning on abandoning us, weren’t you? Do you care less about us than your new kits?”

Dawnpelt cracked open her eyes, her gaze landing on Strikestone, who was staring in horror. “Strikestone, help!” Needletail glanced from the black-and-white tom to his mother, then back again. What was he going to do? “Please!”

Strikestone sheathed and unsheathed his claws. He flinched as if he was going to move forward, then glanced at Darktail, and lowered his head. “Good,” Darktail meowed, padding up to sit beside the tom. Shimmerpelt got to her paws, flinching when she put too much weight on her leg. She stared at Darktail, fear in her eyes. The black-and-white leader flicked his ear to Sleekwhisker and Juniperfang. “Bring her here.”

The two cats dragged her mother over to Darktail. She glared up at him, defiance sparkling in her eyes, and bared her teeth. “You can torture me, maim me, make me suffer,” she hissed, “but I will never let you hurt my kits.”

Darktail grinned, signalling for Juniperfang and Sleekwhisker to let her go. He grabbed Dawnpelt with his teeth and hauled her toward the lake. Needletail flinched when her tortoiseshell pelt got ripped off by sharp pebbles on the lake shore. Dawnpelt didn’t even whimper, limp in the rogue leader’s grip.

“For your crimes against the kin,” Darktail began, dropping her beside the lake, “you will be executed by the cat whom you refuse to bow to.”

Needletail whipped her head around when Sparrowtail roared, throwing Sap off of him and lunging toward Darktail. Needletail yowled and bowled into him before he could reach her leader, rearing up and heavily landing her paw on his head. Berryheart cried out behind them, frozen.

Dazed, Sparrowtail stumbled, before he shook himself and grabbed Needletail, pinning her to the ground with unsheathed claws. He hissed and scratched her neck, not deep enough to do any damage. Lake water washed her fur. “You and your ‘Kin’ are horrid creatures!” he yowled. “You never deserved to call yourself ShadowClan.” He locked eyes with his daughter and his own eyes blazed with fury. “You are  _ dead _ to me.”

A horrid concoction of fury, misery, and agony hit Needletail all at once. Her heart raced in her chest, so fast she thought it was going to explode. The fury overpowered all else. She screeched and gathered all her strength, bolting upward and twisting them both so he was pinned under her, all in one swift motion. She grabbed his shoulders and shoved him under the water.

“I hate you!” she cried, enjoying the sight of him struggling under her paws. Bubbles floated to the surface and he squirmed and screamed. “You have never been a father to me, you never even  _ wanted _ me. I hate you, Sparrowtail!” She continued to scream and curse her father, her entire body boiling with anger.

Sparrowtail’s struggling became weaker and weaker, trying to breathe, only to get lungs full of water. He spasmed underneath her, then fell still. He was dead.

Needletail whipped her head around to glare at her mother. The calico’s eyes were wide with shock. She backed away, then raced away from them, toward the Twolegplace. Needletail sniffed and shook her pelt of water, sitting beside her father’s dead body, still panting.

Darktail nodded to her, an eager gleam in his eyes. He turned back to Dawnpelt. “I suppose Needletail wanted to show you what would become of you,” he meowed. Dawnpelt was staring in horror at Needletail. Needletail’s pelt prickled in satisfaction. “Enough waiting.” He turned to his Kin, eyes narrow. “Sparrowtail and Dawnpelt betrayed all of us today. Take this as a warning. I’m showing you what will happen if you do the same.”

Before he could lay a paw on Dawnpelt, Strikestone rushed forward. “Don’t!” He stared at his mother, his pelt bristling. “Please, don’t do this, Darktail. You cannot kill my mother.”

“Why can’t I?” Darktail snarled. “This cat betrayed us. She betrayed  _ you _ , Strikestone. Don’t you want to watch her die?” He lay his claws on her pelt, digging them into her skin, blood blossoming underneath them.

Strikestone’s eyes were wide. “She was just protecting her kits,” he meowed, his voice shaking. “I do not wish death upon cats who only want to keep their kin safe.”

Darktail’s lips drew back. “She should have been loyal only to me and my Kin,” he growled. “Are you asking for the same fate as her, Strikestone?”

“No!” The black-and-white tom looked as if he was struggling to find the right words. He bowed his head. “I am loyal to you  _ and  _ my Kin. That includes Dawnpelt. Please let her go.”

Darktail looked thoughtful for a moment. He glanced down at Dawnpelt, who was staring at her son, hope shimmering in her eyes. Needletail felt sick. What did  _ Strikestone _ do that she didn’t? Why did  _ he _ get a loving mother?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of silver in the lake. Heart racing, she stood. “Darktail, look out!”

But she called too late. Shimmerpelt burst out of the water and pushed Darktail to the ground. “Dawnpelt!” She turned to the tortoiseshell queen, hissing when Darktail flung her off. “Get to RiverClan! Don’t turn back!”

Dawnpelt leapt to her paws, though her wounds looked as if they were burning, and raced off, disappearing after she crossed the border. “Track her down!” Darktail screeched. Sleekwhisker was already on her mother’s tail, bounding with long, purposeful strides. Needletail watched her go.

Darktail hissed and grabbed Shimmerpelt by the scruff, throwing her into the lake. Before she could get to her paws, he put his paws on her back, his muscles rippling as he restrained her under the water. Just like Sparrowtail, Shimmerpelt squirmed under the water, trying to get out from Darktail’s strong paws.

She opened her jaws in a soundless scream, then fell still, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. “RiverClan has made a powerful enemy today,” Darktail hissed. Needletail felt cold. As if somehow she knew nothing good would come from this battle.


	18. Chapter Sixteen

Violetpaw shook as she followed Darktail through the forest, only mouse-lengths behind the tom. The night before, Dawnpelt had left to go to RiverClan with her kits with Cloverfoot, Sparrowtail, and Berryheart to help her. The three warriors she left with still hadn’t come home. This morning, Darktail and Needletail roused Violetpaw and the rest of the Kin to tell them that a few of their members had betrayed them.

Violetpaw’s heart was still racing. From what Darktail told them, about RiverClan helping the traitors, it seemed that somehow he found out about Dawnpelt’s departure and caught her and the others bringing the kits to Mistystar’s camp. Now, they were on their way to attack RiverClan. They were at the Thunderpath that bordered RiverClan and ShadowClan’s territories.

Glancing around, Violetpaw realized that almost all the Kin were gathered there, the former ShadowClan warriors, excluding the cats who had disappeared the night before, and the rogues. Thistle, Sap, Ember, Lioneye, Grassheart, Wasptail, Rippletail, the apprentices, Whorlpaw and Flowerpaw, who had their chests puffed out, even Raven and Roach to name a few. The line seemed endless. Even the elders, Shade and Ratscar, were there, and the three kittypets, Witch, Loki, and Max.

_ That’s not right, _ Violetpaw thought.  _ This is no place for elders and kittypets who’ve had barely any training! _

She was standing beside Witch on one side of her and Loki on the other, with Max just behind them. Violetpaw wished that she could have been closer to Needletail, but her friend stood several fox-lengths away, close to Sleekwhisker and Juniperfang. Violetpaw was surprised. She didn’t think Needletail would want to be near the two horrible warriors.

_ I’m surprised Darktail didn’t group her with Raven and Roach, _ Violetpaw thought, staring at Rain’s siblings.  _ I thought he wouldn’t trust her after Rain’s attack. Did she do something to regain his trust? _

“I’m so nervous,” Witch interrupted her thoughts. “I wish we could have had something to eat before we set out. I’m  _ starving _ !” Violetpaw smiled and opened her jaws to say something, but Loki cut her off.

“I’m too nervous to eat,” he mewed, his eyes wide.

“Quiet!” Darktail whipped his head around, and Violetpaw’s belly lurched as she realized he had been close enough to hear the kittypets’ soft voices. His ice eyes glared at Witch and Loki and they both lowered their heads. “There’ll be plenty to eat  _ after _ we defeat RiverClan. Once we have our victory, we’ll have a great, big feast.”

Witch lifted their head, their eyes flashing. She gave an excited little bounce. “Oh, I  _ love _ feasts! When I lived with my housefolks, they had feasts sometimes with scraps of all different kinds of food. They played a game with me: they’d put my feast into the garbage can, and I had to hunt for it. It was fun!”

Violetpaw glimpsed a flash of anger in Darktail’s eyes, as if he would have liked to claw their flighty little kittypet’s ear off, and cold fear began to form in her stomach. She didn’t want Witch to get hurt, especially not right before the battle. “Be quiet now,” he ordered through gritted teeth. “It’s time to show RiverClan what a powerful enemy they’ve made.”

With a gesture of his black tail, Darktail beckoned the three kittypets a few pawsteps away from Violetpaw. Sleekwhisker padded up with the two elders, then stepped back with a nod to Darktail. She had an eager gleam in her eyes, and her claws were unsheathed.

“Right,” Darktail meowed. “This is the plan: you three kittypets will be going in first, along with the elders.”

“Is that a good idea?” Violetpaw asked without thinking. Her belly cramped with fear as Darktail turned his menacing gaze on her, and she realized she shouldn’t have questioned her leader. “I—I mean,” she stammered, “the kittypets don’t have any battle experience, and the elders are . . . well, elderly.”

Darktail paused before replying. Violetpaw noticed the three kittypets exchanging glances of alarm, while the two elders were listening with grim expressions.

“It’s an honor to be the first cats to attack in a battle,” Darktail assured them at last.

Violetpaw thought that was a bit strange.  _ Even if that’s true, wouldn’t you choose your strongest warriors to honor? _ She was sure that Ratscar hadn’t fought in a battle for ShadowClan since he’d retired to the elders’ den, she wasn’t even sure if Shade had any battle experience, though she was a fierce she-cat. But she didn’t dare say anything more to Darktail.  _ After all, it’s different with the Kin. _

“You, Violetpaw, will have the greatest honor of all,” Darktail continued smoothly. “You will fight by my side.”

Violetpaw didn’t find that as strange as the kittypets and elders fighting. Darktail seemed to think he and Violetpaw had a special bond, though Violetpaw didn’t exactly know why. She didn’t mind being on the leader’s good side, though. Perhaps she’d be safe during this battle.  _ Still, that means I can’t protect Witch. _

The bushes on the other side of the Thunderpath rustled, and a group of RiverClan cats stepped out into the open.

By this time, the dawn light had strengthened, and a glow in the sky over WindClan territory showed where the sun would rise. There was enough light for Violetpaw to see that the RiverClan leader, Mistystar, was in the lead, her blue-gray fur gleaming except for the dark gash along her side where she had been wounded in the previous battle.

“What’s going on?” she demanded. “My dawn patrol reported a large group of cats along our border. What are you doing here?”

Darktail drew his lips back in a snarl. “You and your RiverClan warriors have been manipulating my followers into leaving my Kin,” he growled. His eyes were sharp, like two chips of ice.

Mistystar’s eyes narrowed and her tail lashed. “We manipulated no one,” she growled. “Dawnpelt and the others decided to bring the kits to RiverClan on their own. She would have been safe with her kits in RiverClan, too, if you hadn’t decided to attack my cats and  _ kill _ Shimmerpelt. We don’t want mange-ridden rogues on our territory. Get off my land.”

Violetpaw’s heart lurched. Was Dawnpelt not in RiverClan now? Had she been killed? The earth swayed beneath her paws. What would happen to her kits?

Darktail gave Mistystar a twisted grin and unsheathed his long claws. Then he let out a deep-throated caterwaul. “Kin! Attack!”

At once, Witch, Max, and Loki sprang forward, with the two elders lumbering after them. Violetpaw could tell that the kittypets didn’t have much of an idea what they were supposed to do in a fight. Witch opened their jaws wide, but what came out sounded more like a squeak than a challenging roar.

Violetpaw wanted to follow her friends and help them, but as she bunched up her muscles to hurl herself forward, Darktail blocked her path with his tail.

“Not yet,” he mewed.

On the opposite side of the Thunderpath, the RiverClan warriors stared in amazement, exchanging confused glances as if they didn’t know what to do about an attack from confused kittypets.

“Time to show what you’re made of, my Kin!” Darktail raised his voice again in a yowl. “Time to tell these Clan cats they can’t mess with us nor take our Kin away! The winner of this battle takes the territory!”

Spurred on by his leader’s orders, Spikefur was the first of the Kin to race forward, taking a swipe at Shadethroat’s nose. Blood sprayed out into the air, and Shadethroat let out a screech.

As if at a signal, the RiverClan cats seemed to realize that the attack wasn’t absurd after all.

_ They know it’s really happening, _ Violetpaw thought.  _ They can see they’re in danger of losing their territory. _

Darktail had explained that morning that the RiverClan cats would be at a serious disadvantage: their numbers were equal since more rogues had come to join the Kin, but RiverClan had taken more serious injuries in the previous battle. Their leader, Mistystar herself, still wasn’t fully recovered.

But as if the RiverClan cats gave vent to furious yowling and sprang to defend themselves, Violetpaw could see that their courage was as strong as ever, in spite of their wounds. With slashing claws and bared teeth, they fell upon the rogues, driving the less experienced of them wailing into the undergrowth, or leaving them writhing in pain on the hard surface of the Thunderpath.

The three kittypets were doing their best, but they were no match for experienced RiverClan warriors. Violetpaw lost sight of them in the midst of whirling, shrieking bundles of fur.

“Now!” Darktail meowed to Violetpaw. “It’s time to have some fun.”

_ Fun? _ Violetpaw thought, appalled.

Darktail raced forward into the battle, and Violetpaw followed him. At first she wasn’t sure she wanted to attack the RiverClan cats. They helped Dawnpelt when she was in her time of need, didn’t that make them good cats?

_ RiverClan attacked us with the others, but they were just trying to help ShadowClan. _ Violetpaw remembered Pinenose, Puddleshine, and Tawnypelt with an ache. _ They were trying to protect my  _ true  _ kin. Can it be right to drive them off their territory? _

But she remembered too what Darktail had said, that the Clan cats had always been hostile to the rogues.  _ And Mistystar called us mange-ridden just now. We should teach her to respect the Kin . . .  _ Still, it felt wrong.

Violetpaw hovered on the edge of the battle. Darktail had bounded ahead of her, his claws stretched out to slash at Mistystar. But Duskfur, the RiverClan deputy, a big dusky brown streak of fury, hurled herself between Darktail and her leader. She and Darktail wrestled on the ground, legs and tails flailing.

Roach and Sap were fighting close together, dealing vicious blows to Mintfur and Foxnose. The stench of blood filled the air; Violetpaw gagged on it, wanting to hide under the nearest bush and close her eyes until it was all over. The sight of blood brought vicious memories of Rain’s eye getting torn out, blood splattering Darktail’s white fur, staining it, flashing behind her eyes, and she shook, feeling weak.

But she knew she couldn’t do that. The Kin seemed to be driving back the RiverClan cats, and she glanced around to see how the kittypets and elders were getting along.

What she saw chilled her from ears to tail-tip. Both elders were badly hurt: Shade lay at the edge of the Thunderpath, struggling to stand, while Ratscar and a rogue, Pepper, stood over her, battling Meadowpelt. Ratscar had blood dripping from a scar across his cheek, but Pepper looked almost unscathed.

Loki had retreated across a wide area, covered by the same hard stuff as the Thunderpath, that stretched as far as the lake. He was crouched at the water’s edge, shivering with fear. Witch was limping toward him, a huge gash on one of their hind legs, letting out whimpers of pain at every pawstep.

For a terrible moment, Violetpaw couldn’t spot Max. Then she saw him lying in a clump of long grass on the RiverClan side of the border, the ground all around him clotted with blood. He wasn’t moving at all.

_ Is he dead? _ A cold wave of horror washed over Violetpaw, and she remembered how the tom had puffed out his chest when he first came into the forest, boasting that he would deal with any cats who dared to attack the Kin.  _ And this is how he ended up. _ The blood around him brought more onslaughts of images: Needletail, her pelt dotted with Rain’s blood, Smokepaw, who she had been chasing in the battle days ago, blood trailing behind her, Sparkstorm, digging her fangs into Needletail’s throat.

Violetpaw willed her horror to turn to anger. It flashed hot under her pelt. The air seemed to be filled with a red haze, and her mind emptied of everything except the need to hurt the cats who had hurt her Kin. She longed to feel her claws slashing through RiverClan pelts.

Hurling into the undergrowth on the RiverClan side of the border, Violetpaw found herself face to face with Owlnose. He ducked to avoid the blow she aimed at him, and her claws whipped harmlessly past his ears. He rose up on his hind paws, trying to box her ears with both forepaws, but Violetpaw barreled forward, keeping her head low, and raked her claws across his unprotected belly. Owlnose backed off, his jaws wide as he gasped in pain.

Violetpaw spun away from him and flung herself back into the battle, hardly away from which cats she was facing as she whirled around, striking with outstretched claws and letting out fearsome caterwauls. At last she realized that no more opponents were coming forward to challenge her, and she stood still, panting.

A cat limped up beside her, and she turned, ready to defend herself, then she relaxed as she realized it was Needletail. To Violetpaw’s relief, though her friend had several scratches down her flanks, she didn’t seem to be badly hurt.

“You fought well,” Needletail meowed, blinking at her apprentice friend. “But you can stop now. It’s over.”

Violetpaw pushed her way through a barrier of ferns that separated her from the Thunderpath and looked around. The hard surface and the ground on either side were strewn with bodies of dead cats. There were so many that at first Violetpaw couldn’t identify any of them.

Mistystar stood close by, surrounded by some of her warriors. All of them were seriously injured; Mistystar’s wound had opened again, and blood was trickling down through her blue-gray fur.

_ The Kin have won, _ Violetpaw thought, and wondered why she didn’t feel more triumphant.

Mistystar bent her head to sniff at the body of a light gray tabby, who lay stretched out with a gaping wound in his throat. “Mintfur,” Mistystar whispered. “You didn’t deserve this. Heronwing, too,” she added, her voice shaking as she turned toward a gray-and-black warrior, whose limp body was huddled nearby. “You fought so bravely.”

“Icewing and Owlnose are dead, too.” A dark gray tabby—Violetpaw remembered Minnowtail from when she had attacked Needletail—came staggering up, with blood smeared over her white chest fur. She halted beside her Clan leader and pressed her nose into Mistystar’s shoulder fur. Violetpaw turned aside, unable to go on witnessing their grief.

Now the sun had fully risen, casting a reddish glow across the landscape. By the light of it, Violetpaw spotted Darktail standing in the middle of the Thunderpath. The white of his pelt was soaked with blood, scarlet with it, and at first Violetpaw thought that he too must have been badly wounded. But then, seeing his firm stance and the proud angle of his head, she realized with a gag that the blood was not his own.

As she watched, Darktail raised one of his paws to his mouth and licked off a clot of thick red blood. He flung his head back and let out a yowl of victory. All around him, the rest of the Kin joined in.

Before the caterwauling died away, Violetpaw glimpsed the yellow fur of Lioneye, limping toward Darktail, one of her paws had bleeding bitemarks in them. “Mistystar’s right,” she hissed, standing tall even with her wounds. “These cats did not deserve this.”

Darktail’s eyes narrowed and glared at the yellow she-cat. “Are you siding with our enemy?”

“I am,” Lioneye hissed. “My brother, Birchbark, nearly died in this battle. We never should have joined this vicious group of cats. You are no leader, Darktail. You’re a murderer.”

Darktail growled, and, with a flash of his claws, struck Lioneye across her cheek, making her stumble. She growled, showing sharp fangs that were dotted with blood and flung herself onto her leader, scratching at his pelt with outstretched claws. Violetpaw stared in horror as she reared up, about to deal a vicious blow, when a flash of gray bowled into her. Slateclaw threw his sister away from Darktail, panting, his eyes filled with anger toward his kin.

Before Lioneye could get to her paws and fight her brother, Birchbark darted over to his sister, flicking his tail. “ _ We have to go _ ,” he signed, shoving his sister toward territory that was owned by neither the Kin nor Clan cats. The two of them ran away from the rogue. Spikefur leapt to his paws to chase his kits, but Darktail stopped him.

“There’s no point,” he sniffed. “They’ll die thanks to those wounds.”

Spikefur stared after them, then lowered his head and stepped back. Slateclaw continued to glare in their direction, his claws digging into the earth. Violetpaw also stared in surprise at where her foster siblings disappeared. They were the last cats she expected to betray Darktail. Would they go to ThunderClan, to Puddleshine and their mother? Or would they become rogues? Violetpaw’s stomach churned. She begged StarClan to watch over them.

There was an amused look in Mistystar’s eyes. “Can’t even control your own cats, Darktail?” she mewed, her voice weak. “Maybe you’re not as much of a threat as we thought.”

“Silence,” Darktail snapped, glaring at the RiverClan leader. “Mistystar it’s time to take your  _ mange-ridden _ Clan out of here. This is Kin territory now.”

Mistystar’s blue eyes hardened with hatred. “We’ll go,” she snarled. “You give us no choice, but we’ll be back.”

Darktail flicked his tail dismissively. “I’m terrified.”

Mistystar called her warriors together, and those who were not so badly injured began helping the seriously injured wounded cats stand, with Mothwing and Willowshine quickly packing cobwebs onto the worst of their gashes.

Violetpaw spotted Duskfur, who had leaped in to defend her leader, panting with her eyes half-closed. Petalfur’s gray-and-white pelt was half clawed off, her wounds showing red and angry, while one of Brackenpelt’s ears was shredded, and she placed on forepaw, which showed a bleeding wound, on her brother’s, Owlnose, limp body. Jayclaw sat beside her, just as wounded as his sister. Curlfeather looked as if she were dead, though she let out a low groan when Mothwing bet over her and laid a paw on her neck.

“One moment,” Darktail meowed, stepping forward. “Where do you think you’re taking these cats?”

Mistystar stared at him, as if she found it hard to understand the question. “With us, of course,” she replied, “so that Mothwing and Willowshine can treat their injuries. This battle is over!”

“The wounded stay with me,” Darktail hissed, his eyes dark and menacing as he gazed at Mistystar. Sliding out his claws, he added, “Unless you’d like to fight us for them.”

Mistystar unsheathed her claws in response, drawing her lips back in the beginning of a snarl. But after a moment’s hesitation, facing Darktail with her shoulder fur bristling, she took a pace back. Violetpaw guessed she was considering the poor shape her Clan cats were in, and her own serious wound. None of them were a match for Darktail; the rogue leader seemed to have grown even stronger in the chaos of the battle.

Duskfur raised her head, breaking the tense silence. “Leave us,” she rasped to Mistystar. “It’s not worth another fight. We’ll be okay.”

Mistystar hesitated a few heartbeats more, then seemed to realize that she had no choice. “Very well,” she mewed. “But none of you should worry. We’ll come back for you—I promise you that. Meanwhile . . . Darktail, you should at least let us take the bodies of our Clanmates for burial.”

Darktail’s mouth twisted in mockery. “The carrion? Forget it, flea-pelt.”

A growl rumbled from Mistystar’s throat as her neck fur fluffed out. Violetpaw thought that she was within a heartbeat of launching herself at the rogue leader.

_ Oh, StarClan, no! _

Before Mistystar could move, Minnowtail stepped forward, thrusting herself between Darktail and her leader. “Don’t,” she mewed, her voice low and urgent. “That’s what he wants.”

“But we can’t leave our Clanmates here as if they were pieces of crow-food!” Mistystar protested.

“Our Clanmates are not here,” Minnowtail persisted. “We can sit vigil for them tonight, wherever we happen to be, not even Darktail can stop their spirits from traveling to StarClan.”

Mistystar hesitated for a moment, then bowed her head in acquiescence. “You’re right,” she whispered. “But it breaks my heart.”

Darktail let out a mocking laugh, watching with a gloating expression on his face as the defeated RiverClan cats limped off toward the lake. “Feel free to cross my territory on your way to ThunderClan,” he sneered. “They’re weak and tenderhearted; they’re bound to take you in.”

Mistystar did not respond, but she did lead her cats along the lakeshore, through what had once been ShadowClan territory, on the way to ThunderClan. Violetpaw watched them go, half wishing she could go with them. Then she glanced at Needletail, who watched with a solemn look in her eyes.  _ I have to keep my promise, _ she thought, though her paws itched to leave.  _ I can’t leave Needletail. _

“Good riddance,” Darktail growled, a look of triumph in his eyes. Turning to his Kin, he added, “Gather up the prisoners. Gather them up, and find a place to hold them.”

Sparkling water caught Violetpaw’s eye. Should she wash off? The blood that clung to her pelt was matting it up, making her feel gross. She padded over to wash her paws of the disgusting wet. When she saw her reflection in the lake, her heart stuttered. In the water, she saw her black-and-white pelt, covered in scarlet. She took a pace back. She looked just like Darktail. Her heart raced as she glanced at her leader; her pelt was as blood soaked as his. She felt as if she was going to vomit, remembering how angry she was, how badly she wanted to dig her claws into RiverClan warriors’ pelts.  _ Am I as horrible as Darktail? _


	19. Chapter Seventeen

Hootwhisker flinched as Brindlepaw peeled off the old cobwebs. “Did that hurt?” she asked, her eyes rounding. Lately, the WindClan medicine cats had been running low on herbs that could fight infection, so Brindlepaw and Kestrelflight had to keep a close eye on the warrior’s wounds. Smokepaw had left the medicine den a few days before, much to Brindlepaw and her family’s relief, making Hootwhisker the last injured warrior in the den.

Unfortunately for Brindlepaw and Kestrelflight, Hootwhisker had reopened his wounds in his sleep, and the healing process had to start all over again. Now, they were nearly out of cobwebs.

“A little,” Hootwhisker meowed, pain shining in his eyes.

“Is that a bad thing?” Flashheart asked from beside his mate. He’d been sitting with Hootwhisker all day since his wounds reopened, grooming his matted fur and sleeping beside him.

“The wounds are probably just a bit sore,” Brindlepaw assured him. “I’ll give you some poppy seeds for the pain, okay?”

Hootwhisker sighed, his fur bristling. “I’m sick of herbs,” he meowed. He stared at the entrance of the medicine den, and dug his claws into his moss nest. “I just want to get out of here.” Flashheart pressed his nose against Hootwhisker’s head as the gray warrior flicked his tail in agitation.

“I know,” Brindlepaw meowed, sympathy for him washing over her pelt. “You’ll be out of here before you know it.” Brindlepaw didn’t like lying to Hootwhisker, but upsetting him could make him worse. She didn’t want him to get depressed.

Flashheart sighed, his whiskers twitching, obviously nervous. “Don’t worry, Flash,” Hootwhisker meowed. “WindClan has the best medicine cats in the Clans.” He winked at Brindlepaw. “They won’t let anything happen to me.”

Brindlepaw’s heart ached for the tom, but she forced a smile as she put on new cobwebs. In all honesty, Kestrelflight and Brindlepaw didn’t know if Hootwhisker would make it. They needed more herbs to fight infection, but none of it grew on WindClan’s territory, except marigold, which grew on the RiverClan border. Brindlepaw shuddered as she remembered hearing about RiverClan warriors traveling to ThunderClan for shelter, all of them badly wounded.

Darktail had taken RiverClan territory just the day before, and every cat was on edge. Many WindClan cats thought they’d be next; Mudstar had forbidden all his warriors to go near the RiverClan border, fearing that they’d get attacked, or worse, lead them to WindClan camp.

“You did great, Brindlepaw,” Kestrelflight meowed, padding up to them and sniffing at the covered wounds. He then set some poppy seeds wrapped in a leaf in front of Hootwhisker. “Take these and rest. Brindelepaw and I will be back. We’re going to go collect some marigold.”

Brindlepaw’s ears perked. “Do you think that’s a good idea?” she asked, her eyes wide. “Darktail and the rogues live on that land now. We could get hurt.”

“We’ll be fine,” Kestrelflight promised. “I'm sure Darktail’s rogues don’t even patrol their borders regularly.”

Flashheart shared an uneasy glance with Hootwhisker. “I’d take a warrior with you,” the black-and-white tom meowed, his eyes round. “We don’t want to lose a medicine cat today.” Brindlepaw nodded nervously, her heart racing. She wasn’t ready to face one of the members of the Kin. She remembered Smokepaw’s injuries, deep and red, and shuddered.

“I was planning to bring Breezepelt,” Kestrelflight meowed. Brindlepaw let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She’d feel much safer with her father protecting her.

“Okay, stay safe,” Hootwhisker blinked at them as they left their den.

Outside, WindClan warriors were bustling around the camp. It had been a busy day, and it wasn’t over. Mudstar had sent a patrol on every border they had, even where Clan territory ended. “Darktail might try to attack from there,” Mudstar had meowed when the cats in the patrol complained. They only sniffed and left without another word, bringing prey back.

Brindlepaw knew he was just paranoid, but she couldn’t help but feel nervous as well. Would Darktail attack them next? If so, when? She had heard from a RiverClan apprentice, Wavepaw, that the night before they were attacked, a few warriors were trying to bring a ShadowClan cat and her kits to RiverClan to keep them safe from Darktail. They were about to get away with it, too, but Darktail and his Kin had caught them. She didn’t hear what happened next, but she was sure it was horrid. She wondered if that was why Darktail attacked RiverClan.

“Breezepelt!” Kestrelflight’s call snapped Brindlepaw out of her thoughts.

Her father’s ears perked and he excused himself from where he was speaking with Crowclaw, Larksoar, and Harespring. He blinked at his daughter and nuzzled her with his snout. “What’s up?”

“We’re heading to the RiverClan border to gather marigold,” Kestrelflight explained, giving his friend a soft blink. “We need a warrior to come with us, in case Darktail’s rogues try anything.”

Breezepelt’s eyes widened a bit. Brindlepaw tilted her head at the tom. She never thought she’d see her father scared. He was so brave in her eyes, one of the cats who fought with the Dark Forest. Sure, she knew that was stupid of him, and she knew it could have killed him and the Clans, but she couldn’t help but admire him for it. She’d heard stories of Ivypool of ThunderClan, their bravest cat, one of the most popular warriors in her Clan, who survived alongside Breezepelt in the Dark Forest and the Great Battle. She always looked up to her father and Ivypool for getting out of it alive.

“I think we should bring one more warrior with us,” Breezepelt meowed. “I can fetch Larksoar; she was complaining about having nothing to do.”

Kestrelflight nodded and sat beside his apprentice, grooming himself as Breezepelt left them. Brindlepaw glanced at him. “Do you think Darktail is going to attack us next?” She lowered her voice to a whisper.

Kestrelflight paused mid lick. He blinked, then sighed. “I don’t know,” he meowed. “I hope not, but he’s hungry for battle and blood. We don’t know what he wants or why he’s here.” His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t voice his thoughts.

“If we do get attacked, do you think the other Clans will help us?” That was a thought that had been nagging at Brindlepaw since RiverClan fell to Darktail’s claws. Mudclaw had denied ShadowClan, ThunderClan,  _ and  _ RiverClan the sap that would cure their sickness during the blackcough outbreak. Would they deny WindClan help because of his unkindness? If so, where would WindClan stay? She shivered.

Kestrelflight looked uncertain. He turned to his apprentice, his eyes wide. Before he could answer, Larksoar and Breezepelt joined them. Larksoar blinked at the medicine cats. “We’re going to RiverClan, aren’t we? I’m glad,” she continued, before any cat could answer, stretching. “I haven’t gotten the chance to properly stretch my legs today.”

Breezepelt gave the young warrior a stern look. “Well, you’d better be on guard,” he meowed. “Those rogues are ruthless.” His pelt prickled. “Remember what they did to Emberfoot.”

The four WindClan cats fell silent at the mention of the dead WindClan warrior. Brindlepaw hadn’t been there when Emberfoot passed on to StarClan, she was still a kit, but she remembered vividly when Snowbush, Whitewing, and Bumblestripe came into camp with his limp body. Ashfoot was outraged, saying it should have been his Clanmates who returned his body, until Snowbush explained they were too wounded to do so.

“I’ll do my best to protect you both,” Larksoar meowed, her face solemn.

With that, they left the camp, and Larksoar’s happy demeanor seemed to return: she chatted about the weather, and asked Breezepelt about his hunting patrol. She asked Brindlepaw about herbs, and said hello as they passed a Tunneler patrol, who had a few rabbits in their jaws. Brindlepaw’s mouth watered when she saw the prey, and realized she hadn’t eaten since that morning. She had spent the day worrying about Hootwhisker, so much so that she forgot to eat.  _ I’ll eat when I get back to camp, _ she supposed, trying to ignore her growling stomach.

“Where’re you off to?” Furzepelt, the leader of the patrol, called.

“RiverClan border,” Kestrelflight told her, stopping. “We need some marigold.”

Furzepelt and Oatclaw shared a frightened glance. “Is two warriors enough to keep you safe?” she asked, her eyes rounding. Furzepelt and Oatclaw were there when Emberfoot was killed, and had to stay in ThunderClan camp to care for their wounds when the Kin attacked a WindClan patrol; plus Furzepelt stayed behind during this most recent battle. She suffered minimal damage, but still . . . They knew the wrath of the Kin.

“We’ll be okay,” Breezepelt told her, flicking his tail. “You two get back to camp. If there’s any trouble, we’ll go back for help.”

Oatclaw still looked worried, but Furzepelt nodded. “Alright,” she meowed slowly. “We’ll see you later.” She flicked her tail to Oatclaw, who stayed watching them for a few heartbeats, before following her in the direction of camp. Brindlepaw’s pelt prickled. They were as nervous as Mudstar. She’d never seen a battle between the Clans and the Kin. Just how awful were they? She shuddered as she remembered the wounds her Clanmates bore when they returned to camp after the battle.

They passed the Horseplace, where a few of the large, long-legged creatures were grazing, raising their heads as the cats passed them. As they reached the RiverClan border, their patrol went silent, and Brindlepaw became aware just how small their group was. If a Kin patrol attacked them, they’d stand no chance. Her pelt prickled uncomfortably. Would Breezepelt and Larksoar really be able to help them?

The rogue scent that laced the border made Brindlepaw’s nose wrinkled. Sure, RiverClan smelled bad and fishy, but this smelled rancid. She forced herself not to gag at the stench. She turned to her father, her eyes wide. He had his claws unsheathed, pelt bushed up, while Larksoar looked ready to pounce on anything that came her way, her eyes darting back and forth.

“Start looking for marigold,” Kestrelflight ordered his apprentice. He looked just as on edge as the warriors. As much as she didn’t want to, Brindlepaw opened her jaws and drank in the scent, trying to pick up the sharp scent of marigold. The reek covered it up well,but she eventually found a patch of the orange flowers along the river bank.

“Over here,” she called to Kestrelflight and the warriors. She began to pick as much as she could, not knowing when she’d be able to collect more. Kestrelflight stood beside her and began nipping at the stems.

They stopped when they heard the bushes rustle across the river. Brindlepaw’s pelt prickled, staying still as fear coursed through her. She crouched down instinctively when three cats padded out of the bushes: a muscular gray cat, a light brown tabby with spots, and a black tom. Brindlepaw recognized Juniperfang of ShadowClan. Their eyes narrowed when they spotted the WindClan cats.

“What are you doing here?” Juniperfang asked, his sharp front teeth showing. He unsheathed his claws.

“We’re only collecting marigold,” Kestrelflight explained, staying calm as the Kin cats stepped closer to the river, as if at any moment, they’d leap over the stream and attack.

“This is Kin territory now, Clan cats, I’d leave if I were you,” the gray she-cat meowed. “Darktail won’t be pleased to hear that you’re trespassing.”

“We haven’t stepped foot on your land,” Larksoar meowed, a hiss edging her tone. Breezepelt shot her a stern look, shaking his head.

The brown tabby stepped in front of her campmates. “There’s no point in fighting,” she meowed, amber eyes wide. We’re outnumbered, Thistle.”

The gray she-cat—Thistle—gave a menacing laugh. “I could take down those scrawny cats easy, Ember,” she hissed. Breezepelt bristled beside his daughter, digging his claws into the dirt. Thistle twitched her whiskers thoughtfully. “But fine. You Clan cats better get off our land if you don’t want any trouble. And leave the marigold. That belongs to Slit.”

Brindlepaw shared a worried look with Kestrelfight, then set down her marigold, hanging her head. “Come on,” Breezepelt muttered. “This place stinks.” The WindClan cats turned and padded back through the territory, their tails lashing.

Brindlepaw turned one last time to see the Kin cats padding back into the bushes. She locked eyes with Ember, whose amber eyes were gleaming with what looked to be worry. Then she disappeared. Brindlepaw’s pelt prickled. Larksoar pressed herself against Brindlepaw, her claws unsheathed. They passed the small patch of forest when Kestrelflight sat down, flicking his ears.

“You two can go,” he meowed to the warriors, who shared a confused glance. “I’m just going to speak with Brindlepaw for a moment.”

Breezepelt nodded. “Keep your ears pricked,” he told them, twitching his tail to Larksoar. With one last glance at Brindlepaw, Larksoar followed the older warrior to camp.

“What’s going on?” Brindlepaw asked. Her pelt prickled with anxiety. Was this about Hootwhisker? Did Kestrelflight think he wasn’t going to make it?  _ Now we have nothing to treat him with, _ she thought, her heart racing. She held her breath as she waited for her mentor to speak.

Kestrelflight tapped her tail with his own. “I’m worried about Darktail,” he confessed, sighing. “After taking over RiverClan’s territory, I’m afraid he might try to come after our land next, like you said.” His eyes grew a bit dark as he glanced at his apprentice. “I think it’s time for you to learn to fight.”

Brindlepaw’s ears perked. “Are you going to teach me how to fight?” she asked. The anxiety melted away, now replaced with a tingling excitement in her paws. If she learned how to fight, she could protect her Clan in more ways than one.

“Barkface only ever taught me about herbs,” Kestrelflight meowed, smiling as he remembered his former mentor. “Not many WindClan cats are given battle training in the first place. But this is a special case.” He wrapped his tail around his niece, blinking at her. “You’re a fast learner, Brindlepaw. I’m going to ask Nightcloud to start training you alongside Smokepaw.”

“That sounds great!” Brindlepaw exclaimed, her heart racing. She leapt to her paws. She imagined training with her sister and she felt as if she was floating. She’d always wanted to be a medicine cat, yes, but since Darktail became more aggressive, she desperately wanted to learn to fight. The thought of Smokepaw’s angry wound on her shoulder.  _ I can fight beside her now, and help her, _ she thought, taking a deep breath. “Thank you, Kestrelflight. I won’t let you down.”

Kestrelflight blinked again. “I know you won’t.” He nudged his apprentice, flicking her ear with his tail. “Let’s get back to camp. I’ll talk to your parents and Nightcloud when we get there.”

Brindlepaw nodded, bounding toward the camp with her mentor close behind her. Soon, she’d be able to battle alongside her Clanmates, and keep them safe.


	20. Chapter Eighteen

“Are you sure that Bramblestar will be okay with this?” Mothwing asked as she, Puddleshine, and Alderheart slipped through the undergrowth, on their way to the lake. Two days earlier, Mistystar had entered ThunderClan camp, almost begging Bramblestar to take her and her Clan in.

“Why didn’t you go to WindClan?” Squirrelflight had asked, her tail twitching.

Mistystar sniffed. “Do you really think Mudstar would have taken us in after what happened at the last Gathering?” she had asked the ThunderClan deputy.

“We have cats who need tending to,” Minnowtail meowed, stepping in front of her leader. “Mothwing and Willowshine are here, we just need herbs.”

Bramblestar agreed to let the RiverClan refugees into his camp, and Alderheart, Leafpool, Mothwing, Willowshine, and Puddleshine spent the day treating the wounded. “The den is going to be cramped tonight,'' Puddleshine had pointed out as he pressed cobwebs against Poollight's wound. Mothwing had expressed her worry about Poollight quietly to the other medicine cats, saying her sister, Curlfeather, had been taken by Darktail.

“Mothwing and I will sleep in the elders’ den,” Leafpool meowed. She spread a poultice over Ploverheart’s wound and the gray-and-white she-cat blinked at her gratefully. “I’m sure the elders won’t mind.”

Now, the three medicine cats were making their way to RiverClan’s territory. Alderheart and Mothwing were going to go alone, but Puddleshine was adamant about coming with. Alderheart felt uncomfortably tense, his ears pricked for the first sounds of a ThunderClan patrol. “I’m sure he  _ won’t _ ,” he replied, knowing the huge risk the medicine cats were taking, “and that’s why I didn’t ask him.”

Puddleshine pressed against him, his blue eyes wide. “Will you get in trouble?” he asked, his tail brushing against Alderheart’s.

“Probably.” Alderheart intertwined his fluffy tail with Puddleshine’s own sleek one. “But it’ll be okay. Bramblestar knows that medicine cats sometimes have to make their own decisions about what’s right. Besides, I’m his son, he can’t punish me  _ that _ badly.”

Mothwing nodded, then set off again, padding ahead of the two medicine cats. “I’m so grateful for you, Alderheart,” she mewed. “We  _ have _ to know what’s going on in RiverClan camp. But Willowshine is too busy with our injured warriors, and I don’t think I could do this alone.

Alderheart wasn’t surprised. News of the battle had shocked him from ears to tail-tip. Darktail had driven Russetstar and the others from ShadowClan’s territory, but that felt different, because so many ShadowClan cats had stayed and taken his side. Now Darktail was attacking Clans who had nothing to do with him? Where would it end? It made Alderheart feel that danger could be lurking behind every rock.

He admired Mothwing for having the courage to set paw on RiverClan territory, now that it was occupied by the rogue leader and his followers, and Puddleshine, who was facing his Clan after he left with Russetstar and his family.  _ I must have bees in my brain for agreeing to go with them, _ he thought, watching Puddleshine slip away from his side and rush up to his former mentor.

The three medicine cats emerged from the undergrowth, and padded down the strip of pebbles that led to the edge of the lake. Mothwing halted again, staring out across the water to the distant trees and bushes of RiverClan territory. Alderheart couldn't believe how tranquil the scene looked, the surface of the lake glittering under the morning sun, when all around, the Clan’s territories were in turmoil.

“Which way now?” Puddleshine asked, standing beside Mothwing. “Through ShadowClan or WindClan?” Alderheart looked at Mothwing. WindClan would be easiest to pass through, since Mudstar gave the other Clans permission to walk through their land, but he forbade any ShadowClan warrior to cross; if a patrol saw Puddleshine, they might react badly.

“WindClan,” Mothwing replied. “If we go through ShadowClan, we’re bound to meet the rogues long before we get to RiverClan. A WindClan patrol might give Puddleshine a hard time, but the rogues will claw our pelts off if they catch us.”

“Works for me,” Alderheart commented, and Puddleshine nodded beside him.

“Besides,” Mothwing added, “WindClan let Minnowtail and her patrol pass yesterday.”

“Minnowtail went back to RiverClan?” He thought of the brave, stubborn tabby she-cat and wondered if Mistystar let her go. He knew she would have gone anyway, even if Mistystar forbade it.

“Yes,” Mothwing meowed. “Mistystar sent her and a patrol to our territory to try to free the prisoners and collect the bodies of our Clanmates for burial, but some of the rogues spotted them when they tried to cross the border. There was a skirmish and . . .” Her voice was shaking, and she paused to steady it. “Minnowtail and the others lost. Thistle—she was leading the rogues’ patrol—let them go, but she told Minnowtail that if there was another attempt to seal back the territory, the rogues would kill the prisoners.”

“That’s terrible,” Puddleshine murmured, his eyes wide.

“It’s outrageous!” Alderheart exclaimed, digging his claws into the soft sand of the lake’s edge.

“It is.” Mothwing blinked unhappily. “But we can’t just leave them there and do nothing!”

With a determined flick of her tail, she set off again along the water’s edge in the direction of the WindClan border.

“So what’s the plan?” Alderheart asked as he quickened his paws to pad alongside her.

“Willowshine and I built up a good store of herbs in our den,” Mothwing told them. “I thought if I went there and told the rogues I had come to collect them, they might let me into camp.”

“It’s worth a try,” Alderheart responded. He remembered his quest, when he discovered Darktail and his rogues in the gorge where SkyClan used to live. Back then, Darktail had seemed fascinated by all the things that medicine cats knew.  _ I hope that means he’ll respect medicine cat ways now, even though the rogues aren’t Clan cats. _

“Of course, I don’t care if they let us take the herbs or not,” Mothwing went on. “We can always gather more, though I’m not sure you ThunderClan cats have the same herbs as us in your territory—” Alderheart shrugged in response, unsure how many herbs Mothwing collected grew on ThunderClan land, “—but once we’re in camp, we might be able to find out how the prisoners are doing, and where they’re being kept. If we’re really lucky, we might be able to speak with them.”

Approaching the stream that marked the border with WindClan, Alderheart opened his jaws to taste the air, and picked up the powerful fresh scent of WindClan cats. At first he couldn’t see any movements on the hillside, but as he, Puddleshine, and Mothwing splashed through the water and climbed out of the opposite bank, a WindClan patrol rose up out of a clump of reeds and bounded forward to block their way.

“Afternoon, Alderheart.” Sedgewhisker, who was in the lead, dipped her head to the medicine cat. Alderheart was relieved to see that most of the cats in the patrol were cats who didn’t seem to have an issue with the other Clans. “I hope you’re not expecting to visit Mudstar. He doesn’t seem to be in the mood to talk.” She glanced at Puddleshine and she cleared her throat. “Especially not with a  _ ShadowClan  _ cat.”

Alderheart dipped his head to Sedgewhisker, pushing down anger at Mudstar. “No,” he meowed. “We want to pass over your territory to get to RiverClan.”

Sedgewhisker nodded. She glanced at her two Clanmates behind her, Heathertail and Leaftail. Leaftail was bristling. The tabby she-cat moved closer to Alderheart, her voice hushed. “Just so you know,” she murmured, “Mudstar has been speaking of Russetstar a lot lately.” Alderheart wasn’t surprised, remembering the confrontation between the two leaders in camp. “Not just him, the  _ whole  _ camp has been whispering about her.”

“Why?” Puddleshine asked, stepping forward.

“She retreated during her own battle,” Sedgewhisker reminded him, her eyes a bit narrow as she glanced over the ShadowClan tom. “There’s bound to be gossip about her. Still, some of the older cats are saying some odd things about her. Something about her  _ knowing _ Darktail.” Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t have anything more to say about it, but it is odd.”

“I don’t know anything either,” Alderheart meowed, and Puddleshine agreed.

“If I find something out, I’ll send Brindlepaw to tell you, okay?” Sedgewhisker flicked her tail to them. “She’s always happy to help.” She rose up, nodding curtly to the medicine cats. “You three may pass.”

“Really?” Leaftail hissed, still glaring at the medicine cats. “This must be some kind of trick.”

Sedgewhisker rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “They’re medicine cats, you featherbrain!” Turning back to Alderheart and his companions, she blinked at him. “I'll be sure to keep in contact.” She flicked her ear to her Clanmates and, though Leaftail hesitated, they followed her back toward WindClan camp.

“Thank you, Sedgewhisker!” Mothwing called to the she-cat. “Always nice to see that cat, even if our Clans aren’t on the best terms.” Alderheart nodded, making his way along the lakeshore with Puddleshine close behind him, at the swell of moorland.

“I wonder what the WindClan cats know about Russetstar that we don’t,” Puddleshine murmured.

“She does seem to have many secrets.” Mothwing looked at the pebbles ahead of her thoughtfully, her whiskers twitching. “Darktail seems to have secrets as well.” She shrugged. “We’ll find out in due time.”

“I hope so,” Puddleshine sighed. “Mudstar seems adamant to know why Russetstar didn’t kill Darktail.” He glanced at Alderheart. “And how would they know each other, like the older cats are saying? It’s not like Russetstar travelled around and could have met him on a journey.”

Alderheart and Mothwing were unable to answer, and Puddleshine seemed to drop the conversation, though he continued to stare at his paws, deep in thought. As they drew closer to the horseplace, Alderheart felt uneasy. It was horrible in ThunderClan’s camp: Strikestone had arrived recently from the Kin, bringing Dawnpelt’s kits with, and with all the warriors from RiverClan and ShadowClan, all the cats were treading over one another’s tails. And all the newcomers were demanding to get their territory back. Every cat had been stunned that Darktail had invaded RiverClan. His power now extended over half the land around the lake.

Squirrelflight and Bramblestar had sent out extra patrols, afraid that the rogues could attack ThunderClan at any moment. So far, there was no sign that Darktail was planning another invasion, but every cat knew that, sooner or later, it would come. And no cat knew where he was holding the prisoners or how they might be rescued, until Mothwing had come up with her idea.

“I’m sorry, you guys,” Mothwing broke the silence as if she had been following his thoughts. “I know this is a mousebrained plan, but what else can we do?”

“You’re right,” Alderheart meowed, pushing aside his misgivings. “We can’t let things go on as they are. Did you hear about Dawnpelt, Cloverfoot, and Sparrowtail?”

Mothwing nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing.

“What happened?” Puddleshine rushed forward.

“Needletail, Darktail, Sleekwhisker, Juniperfang, Strikestone, and a few of his rogues attacked Ploverheart, Sneezecloud, Shimmerpelt, and Duskfur while Dawnpelt was trying to bring herself and her kits to RiverClan. Shimmerpelt died trying to help Dawnpelt,” Motwhing murmured, her amber eyes dulling at the mention of her Clanmate. “And we haven’t seen Dawnpelt or Cloverfoot since that night. As for Sparrowtail . . .” She shuddered.

“Is he dead?” Puddleshine’s eyes rounded with horror.

Mothwing’s voice shook as she spoke. “We found him in the lake, drowned.”

Puddleshine stared at his paws. “At least the kits are safe,” Alderheart meowed, nuzzling Puddleshine’s cheek. Lakeheart still had milk from her litter to care for the three kittens, and her kits didn’t mind sharing their mother.

“Her own kits?” Puddleshine mewled. “Her own kits tried to kill her?”

“Strikestone says he didn’t fight,” Mothwing told him. “But as for Sleekwhisker and Juniperfang—” her eyes narrowed. “—those two are bloodthirsty. I’ll keep my eye out for Dawnpelt.”

“Me too,” Alderheart mewed.  _ I hope nothing bad happened to her. _ He remembered Puddleshine telling him how much Violetpaw enjoyed her former mentor’s company. He didn’t think she could handle losing Dawnpelt.

They fell silent again as they passed the horseplace and padded along the stretch of marshland toward the RiverClan border. Glancing up toward the ridge, which Twigpaw and Honeyspots had to have crossed on their journey to find the barn where SkyClan was sheltering. Adlerheart thought of the other reason he felt tense from whiskers to tail-tip.

_ Ivypool, Goldenheart, Snowbush, and Rosepetal haven’t returned with news of her. A quarter moon is an awfully long time to travel to the barn and back. _

Alderheart tried to convince himself that as long as the patrol was still out looking, there was hope that Twigpaw was okay. But he couldn’t manage to banish his fear that he would never see his kit again.

Passing the end of the tree-bridge that led to the island and, Alderheart once more made an effort to thrush unwelcome thoughts away. It was time to concentrate on the mission.

When the three medicine cats reached the border, they discovered the RiverClan scent markers were fading. Alderheart gagged on a mingled unfamiliar scent, strong and sour, as if the cats who’d left it had never washed themselves since they were kitted. He knew that the reek must come from the rogues.

_ Are they nearby now? _ he wondered, his muscles tensing.

Mothwing wrinkled her nose and let out a huff of disgust. “Yuck! They’ve fouled the whole territory with their stink.”

“It’s worse than it was on my territory,” Puddleshine meowed, sniffing the border and reeling back at the stench. “More rogues have joined, it seems.”

Now they trod warily, taking advantage of the cover that every bush and tuft of long grass offered them.

“It’s weird,” Alderheart murmured as they paused to rest in a dip in the ground. “Before the battle, a RiverClan cat would have met us long before now. But we haven’t seen a whisker of the rogues.”

Mothwing flicked her ears in agreement. “I don’t like the silence,” she whispered. “But it means Darktail doesn’t have enough cats to patrol regularly. After all, he’s trying to hold two territories now.”

Puddleshine sniffed. “Or he could just not care enough to patrol,” he pointed out. Mothwing nodded in agreement.

The medicine cats continued, growing even more cautious as they began to hear the gurgle of running water not far ahead: the stream at the edge of the RiverClan camp. The reek of rogues scent was in the air, growing stronger with every pawstep they took.

To Alderheart’s surprise, they reached the bank of the stream without meeting any of the enemy cats. But as soon as they set paw in the water and began to cross, three heads appeared over the top of the opposite bank, and the cats came bounding down to the water’s edge, where they stood waiting for the medicine cats.

Alderheart couldn’t help his heart thumping harder in his chest when he saw that one of the cats was Needletail. His ears perked toward her, his tail waving in greeting. But Needletail only stared at him with a cold, unrecognizing stare.

_ We grew to be such good friends when she came with us on my quest, _ he thought, remembering how much time he spent with the silver she-cat. He missed her. A lot.

One of the cats with Needletail was Sleekwhisker, who padded up beside her campmate and brushed her tail against Needletail’s own. “Afternoon,” Sleekwhisker meowed, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the Clan cats. “What are you doing here?”

While she was speaking, the third cat stepped out from behind Needletail, and Alderheart got a good look at her for the first time. His heart lurched when he realized that she was Violetpaw. She looked so much like the missing Twigpaw, and as he gazed at her, Alderheart’s compassion swelled up until it almost choked him.

_ She’s trying to look brave and fierce, _ he thought, _ but somehow I can tell she’s just sad and afraid! _

Mothwing dipped her head politely to Sleekwhisker’s question. “Greetings,” she meowed. “Alderheart, Puddleshine, and I have come to collect my herb stores.”

It was Needletail who replied, the fur on her neck and shoulders rising. “Don’t you know this is Kin territory now?”

“Yes, of course we do.” Mothwing still kept her even, polite tone. “But medicine cats are supposed to be able to cross Clan borders, even after a battle. I gathered those herbs, and we need them for all the extra cats who are living in ThunderClan now.”

Sleekwhisker let out a contemptuous snort. “Yeah, well, we’re not Clan cats now; we are Kin. And the Kin follow no rules but their own.” Her eyes were slits, her tail lashing behind her. “This territory and everything in it is ours now—right, Needletail?” Her eyes grew round as she looked at her Kin. It sent shivers down Alderheart’s spine.

“Right,” Needletail mewed firmly. “We are not Clan cats. Go home, now, if you know what’s good for you.” She unsheathed her claws.

As they spoke, Alderheart kept looking at Violetpaw, who had stayed quiet the whole time. She looked upset and unsure of herself, gazing straight ahead as if she didn’t want to be near the others as they argued.

_ I should feel angry with her, for how she attacked Twigpaw in the battle and made her break her leg, but she’s so young . . . How can she stand up to all the older cats, telling her what to do? _

Glancing back at Needletail, Alderheart met her gaze, and for a moment the two cats stared at each other. Alderheart could see something behind that strength and anger: Needletail was carrying some deep hurt within her. She had been through so much. _ Mothwing told me Rain wasn’t with the rogues in the battle. _ Alderheart remembered how close the two cats were on the quest. Then there was Sparrowtail’s death. Was Needletail hurting over that, too?

As he kept gazing at her, Needletail looked thoughtful, her expression shifting. “Okay,” she began. “You can come and get the herbs—”

“What?” Sleekwhisker interrupted, her ears flattened with fury. “Are you completely mousebrained? They—”

Needletail gave Sleekwhisker a hard stare. “I want to ask Alderheart a few questions,” she meowed, lifting her nose. Her eyes narrowed. “Alone.”

Sleekwhisker looked skeptical. Alderheart stared at his former friend in shock.

_ I didn’t think she’d want to even look at me, let alone talk to me, _ Alderheart thought.  _ What kind of questions does she want to ask me?  _ The squeeze in his chest lessened when a new thought entered his mind.  _ Is she thinking about leaving the Kin? _ It was far fetched, but maybe she was coming to her senses.

Finally, Sleekwhisker gave an ungracious shrug. “Whatever,” she huffed, “but you better not take too long, I want these cats out of our camp as soon as possible. And—” she glared at the medicine cats and unsheathed her claws, “—if you put one whisker out of line, you’ll be leaving with a serious limp. That is if you leave at all.”

Alderheart climbed the bank, followed by Puddleshine and Mothwing, flanked by Sleekwhisker and Needletail, with Violetpaw close behind them. Alderheart glanced over his shoulder to look at Violetpaw. She quickned her pawsteps to stand beside Puddleshine. The calico medicine cat gave her a warm smile and they murmured quick hellos to each other. Alderheart’s heart warmed at the sight of both of them, together again. Then it ached.  _ They won’t have much time to catch up. _

As they crossed the shallow ridge, and padded down into the camp, Alderheart’s pelt prickled with horror at what he saw. The lush growth of ferns that bordered the clearing and sheltered the dens had been torn apart, and debris was scattered everywhere. The cats themselves looked dirty and hungry, with a wild look in their eyes, as if they expected to be attacked in the next heartbeat. Alderheart scanned the cats for Dawnpelt, but didn’t see her.

He tried to find the tortoiseshell she-cat, to tell her her kits were okay, or to figure out where the prisoners were being held, but Sleekwhisker hustled him and the other two medicine cats along far too quickly to spot any sign of them.

As they hurried across camp, Violetpaw bounded forward to catch up with Alderheart and trotted along by his side.

“How is Twigpaw?” Her mew was soft, as though she didn’t want Sleekwhisker to overhead. “Is her injury healing okay?”

For a moment, Alderheart didn’t know how to answer. He could see from the pain in Violetpaw’s eyes that she felt terrible about her near attack on her sister during the battle. He felt even more pity for her, clearly lost and trapped among these vicious cats.

“Yes,” he choked out at last, his throat tightening as he spoke the lie. “Twigpaw is recovering just fine.”

He hated lying to her, and he wished he could have told her how he had seen in a vision a cat who might be her kin. But there was no time for that, or for the truth about Twigpaw’s leg and where she’d gone.

“What about Pinenose?” Violetpaw pressed, her eyes round. “Is she okay? And Ferretclaw?”

“They’re both fine,” Alderheart promised, glad he didn’t have to lie this time. “Ferretclaw was wounded pretty badly in the battle, but we healed him with Puddleshine’s help. All the ShadowClan cats in our camp are doing great.”

“Thank you.” Violetpaw let out a breath she seemed to be holding, ducking her head briefly, then wandering off across the camp. She sat beside a black tom and what looked to be a tortoiseshell cat, who nudged her and pushed a toad to her.

Sleekwhisker led the way through a line of bushes that enclosed the clearing and down to the other stream that bordered the camp on the other side. Here the current scoured out a hollow underneath the bank, a good-sized cave with a roof supported by tree roots. On a stretch of pebbles at the cave opening, a cream cat was sitting and sorting herbs into different piles. “That’s Slit,” Puddleshine whispered to Alderheart. The ginger tom nodded.

“This is your den?” Puddleshine asked his former mentor, his eyes sparkling as he scanned it. “It’s so cool!”

The golden-and-white tabby she-cat looked sad. “It  _ was _ my den,” she murmured.

Slit looked up when they saw the three medicine cats, and their eyes rounded. “Hi,” they meowed, their good ear twitching. “You three are medicine cats, right?”

“Yes,” Needletail answered for them. “These three have come to collect Mothwing’s herb stores. In exchange, Alderheart will come with me and answer a few of my questions.” Needletail glanced at the ginger medicine cat, her eyes narrowing. “Come on, Clan cat.” She spat the words like venom and twitched her tail. She turned to Sleekwhisker. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

Alderheart glanced at Puddleshine, who blinked at him in encouragement and then sat beside Slit. Puddleshine smiled warmly at them and a gooey heat grew in Alderheart’s chest. “You’ve accidentally put chervil leaves with dock,” he meowed, separating the pile for the Kin cat. “It’s hard to tell the difference, so I usually keep the flowers close by so I know which one’s which.”

Puddleshine’s voice faded as Alderheart followed Needletail out of the den. Alderheart quickened his pace to stand beside Needletail. He gave her a blink, trying to lessen the tension in the air. “How are you doing?” he asked. “Is everything okay?”

Needletail flicked her tail, glancing around to make sure no cat was around before sitting down. “Everything’s fine,” she meowed.

Alderheart could tell that was a lie. “What did you want to talk to me about?” His heart lurched as a new thought came to him.  _ She’s not going to ask me to join the Kin again, is she? _ She remembered the day when he met Needletail at the ShadowClan border, before Twigpaw and Violetkit were even apprenticed, and she almost begged him to join her in the Kin, or run away with her with the kits.

Needletail stared at him, then at her paws. “I wanted to ask if you’ve seen Rain recently,” she meowed, avoiding his eyes.

Alderheart blinked in surprise. “I haven’t,” he meowed. “I heard she wasn’t in the battle against RiverClan, though.” Alderheart leaned forward. “Is she okay?”

Needletaill’s eyes narrowed. “No,” she murmured. “Rain is gone.” Then her fur fluffed up again. “But it’s okay. I think it’s better this way, anyway.”

Alderheart tried to hide his shock at Needletail’s indifference toward her friend. Her and Rain had been close on the quest to find SkyClan, and she always seemed to take those kinds of things to heart, cats leaving, especially when it was a cat she cared for. “And how are you feeling about that?” he meowed.

“Oh, I’m fine.” Needletail seemed to be trying to work up some enthusiasm in her tone, but she wasn’t doing a very good job of it. “Everything’s fine.”

_ Why does she keep repeating that? _ Alderheart wondered.  _ Is she trying to convince herself? _

“I also wanted to ask,” Needletail went on, “about Dawnpelt. Is she in ThunderClan?”

Alderheart felt his heart sink right down to his paws. But he knew he would have to answer the question. “Dawnpelt isn’t in ThunderClan, but her kits are,” he replied. “I thought she might have returned to you and Violetpaw.”

Needletail’s eyes narrowed. “So Sleek caught up to her,” she whispered.

Alderheart shivered. “Sleekwhisker killed her?”

Needletail didn’t answer. She stared at the medicine den, her tail flicking. Her eyes rounded and her fur lifted along her spine. There was fear in her eyes and Alderheart wondered what happened to bring it on. “Are you—” Alderheart was cut off.

“Well, what happened with Dawnpelt was her own fault!” Needletail exclaimed finally, her eyes slits once more. “Same with Sparrowtail and the others.” She lashed her tail, her tone harsher than ever.

Alderheart wanted to protest at Needeltail’s harsh tone, but he knew there was no point. There was no arguing with Needletail, she was too stubborn and stuck in her own mindset. “What happened with Dawnpelt and Sparrowtail that night, Needle?” Alderheart padded closer, about to brush his tail down her side.

She jumped away, hissing at him. He pulled back, shocked at her sudden aggression. “This was stupid,” she snapped. “You’re no help. Just take your medicine and get out.” She stomped away and to the entrance of the camp, her tail flicking back and forth. Out of the corner of his eye, Alderheart saw Violetpaw’s head perk, staring after her friend with fear in her eyes. Violetpaw locked eyes with Alderheart, and her shoulders drooped a bit. She got to her paws, excusing herself from her talk with her Kin friends, and followed Needletail out. Alderheart hoped she could calm their friend down.

_ I’ve seen Needletail in a lot of different moods, but never like this. She kept swinging between angry and terrified. What is going on here with the rogues? _


	21. Chapter Nineteen

Violetpaw crouched under a bush at the edge of the old RiverClan camp, sharing a fish with Loki and Zelda. Each mouthful of the cold, slimy prey threatened to choke her, and it was an effort to swallow.  _ Pinenose was right about fish,  _ she thought as she held back a gag.

“I really don’t like fish,” she muttered. “I’d give anything for a warm juicy mouse!”

“Me too,” Loki agreed. “Or a bowl of cat food my housefolk used to give me.”

Witch’s only response was a sigh.

The two surviving kittypets had changed since the battle, when Max had been killed. Their excitement and enthusiasm had drained away, and they seemed to realize that they would never be allowed to leave the Kin. Darktail no longer treated them with fake friendliness; he and the other rogues simply ignored them, and Violetpaw was their only friend.

Witch looked worse than Loki. Violetpaw’s heart ached when she remembered how excited Witch had been on their first day out in ShadowClan territory, the sparkle in their beautiful eyes. Now, they seemed to be a shell of their former self. Their eyes didn’t shine anymore.

“Well,” she meowed, “Darktail says that the fish is ours now, just like the territory, so we all have to get used to it.”

“Some of the rogues really like it,” Loki pointed out. “I saw Roach and Thistle  _ fighting _ over a fish yesterday.”

“Raven too,” Witch agreed. “And they all leave nasty scraps and bones lying all over the camp! Don’t they realize they could attract scavengers?”

Forcing down the last of the disgusting fish, Violetpaw sat up to clean her whiskers. On the far side of camp, Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf were bringing the prisoners out of the bramble thicket that had once been the RiverClan nursery. Violetpaw stared at the two she-cats, who were standing closer, their tails brushing against each other. They seemed closer than ever. Closer than Needletail and Sleekwhisker were, even. Darktail stood waiting for them in the middle of the clearing.

Almost all the rogues and remaining ShadowClan cats had moved over to RiverClan; Darktail had only left a small group to guard the ShadowClan territory. The camp here was crowded, and keeping the prisoners only made it worse.

_ Why doesn’t Darktail let these cats go? _ Violetpaw asked herself.  _ What does he want with them? _

At sunrise the day before, every cat had realized that Pepper and Beenose were nowhere to be found. Violetpaw assumed they had gone to ThunderClan, like Dawnpelt, but when she’d tried to ask Needletail about it, her friend changed the subject.

_ Why does Darktail let the ShadowClan cats leave, and yet he keeps these prisoners so close? It doesn’t make sense. _

The prisoners all looked skinny and half-starved, tottering up to Darktail on shaky paws.

“It is time for you to recite the pledge of loyalty to the Kin,” Darktail meowed when they were standing in front of him. “Repeat after me: I swear to be a friend to the Kin . . .”

Violetpaw felt a faint tingle of excitement as the prisoners hesitated, exchanging reluctant glances. Darktail had begun demanding the oath from them on the day after the battle, insisting that no cat would be fed unless they proved they were loyal to the Kin. At first the RiverClan warriors had held out—but as the days passed, first one and then another had given in, until Duskfur, the RiverClan deputy, was the only one left who wouldn’t repeat the pledge of loyalty to Darktail, proudly refusing to betray her Clan in spite of her hunger and the many wounds she had taken in the battle.

_ Will she be brave enough to defy Darktail today? _ Violetpaw asked herself.

Her bubble of hope strengthened as Duskfur kept her jaws tightly shut, glaring at Darktail with narrow eyes. Darktail turned at her with an icy stare. “What is she doing?” Witch murmured, their eyes round with worry. “Darktail could kill her.”

Violetpaw didn’t answer, keeping her yellow gaze on Duskfur. “ _ Repeat after me _ ,” Darktail hissed, unsheathing his claws.

“ _ Never _ ,” Duskfur spat, baring her teeth. “I will not betray Mistystar by pledging my loyalty to a starless tyrant.”

Darktail sniffed. “Very well,” he meowed, flicking his tail to Thistle and Sap, who leapt to their paws and padded over to Duskfur. “Why don’t you two show Duskfur what happens when she doesn’t follow orders.”

Curlfeather leapt forward, her eyes wide. “No!” she gasped, staring at her mother with wide eyes. Darktail snapped his gaze toward her, eyes narrow. “Please, Darktail, just let her go back to the den.”

Sap and Thistle flanked Duskfur, who stood with her chest puffed out defiantly. “Punish me all you like,” she snapped. “I will never bow to you.”

Eyes blazing, Darktail flicked his tail for Sap and Thistle to continue. Curlfeather cried out as her mother was dragged away by the rogues, her eyes glassy with tears. Violetpaw watched the rogues drag Duskfur out, wondering what they were going to do with her. “Shut your trap,” Darktail growled, standing up straight again. “Repeat after me . . .” Once more, he began the pledge, and the RiverClan prisoners lowered their heads and recited it, their meows droning on. Curlfeather was pressed against her mate, Brackenpelt, her eyes wide with fear.

Once the pledge was finished, Darktail took up two scrawny mice and tossed them at the prisoners, who were herded back into the thicket by Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf.

_ That’s hardly enough for one hungry cat, let alone four! _ She stared at the entrance of the camp where Sap and Thistle had dragged Duskfur away. Her heart was thumping in her chest. She avoided Darktail’s satisfied gaze as he watched the prisoners leave.

Thinking about the missing cats made Violetpaw want to go and find Needletail, to try once again to get some information out of her. She started to slip away when Darktail wasn’t looking, only to be called back by the rogue leader.

“Violetpaw! Over here! I need to speak with you.”

Even though Darktail’s voice was warm and friendly, something about it made every hair on Violetpaw’s pelt start to rise.  _ When he uses that voice, that’s when he’s most dangerous. _

Obediently, she padded over to Darktail and halted a tail-length away from him. She kept her paws neatly together and curled her tail along her side, with her head bent submissively—she knew this was a pose that would please Darktail.

“I’ve heard that some herbs are missing from the medicine cat den,” Darktail began. “I’m afraid that one of our own cats has stolen them.”

Violetpaw risked to glance at him and saw that, though his face was calm, there was something malignant in the depths of his eyes. They made her entire body ice cold, her stomach churning uncomfortably.

“If any cat is hoarding herbs for their own use,” Darktail continued smoothly, “then I need to know about it. After all, it’s not fair for one cat to keep all the herbs to themself. They’re for every cat to share!” Darktail licked one paw and smoothed it over his ear. “I think sharing is very important, as I'm sure you know.”

His last words confused Violetpaw. She had seen plenty of evidence that Darktail only shared when it suited his own needs. But she was relieved that she had a good answer to give him.

“No cat stole the herbs or did anything wrong,” she assured him. “Alderheart, Puddleshine, and Mothwing just came to take Mothwing’s herbs, since she was the one who collected and stored them.”

“Oh, well, yes, of course— _ their _ herbs,” Darktail meowed calmly. “That makes a lot of sense. But I just have one more question . . .”

He paused, and Violetpaw felt her belly lurch with apprehension.

“Which cat exactly told Mothwing and Alderheart that it was okay to come onto our territory to get the herbs?” Darktail asked.

His voice was still friendly, but Violetpaw saw that his eyes were cold and hard. They sent violent shivers down her spine and made her stomach wrench. She realized that she was making—no, had  _ already _ made a terrible mistake.

_ I should have said I didn’t know anything about the herbs, _ she thought, trying to fight down panic.  _ Maybe Darktail is just pretending to be angry. If I lie what will happen? _ She remembered Rain, and she felt as though she was going to vomit.

“I—I’m not sure,” Violetpaw stammered. “I mean, no cat said it was okay. We all just sort of . . . agreed.”

Darktail said nothing, just went on staring at her until Violetpaw felt she would never be able to escape the terribly cold ice of his gaze.

“Am I in trouble?” she choked out, her voice no more than a husky whisper.

“Not at all,” Darktail assured her. “You and I have an understanding, don’t we, Violetpaw? We both were kits that no cat wanted.”

“But that’s not true!” Violetpaw began to protest. “Most of the ShadowClan cats were very kind to me, and Pinenose—”

She broke off, trying not to shudder, as Darktail moved closer to her, so close that she could feel his breath riffling her whiskers.

“I know that feeling well,” Darktail purred. “When one feels unwanted, one might do anything—anything at all—to hold onto the cats one cares about. Even lie to protect them. Isn’t that so, Violetpaw?”

Violetpaw swallowed hard; she couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

“I feel a special connection to you,” Darktail went on, “But that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t make your life very unpleasant if you go on lying to me. Do you want to end up like Duskfur?” When Violetpaw still couldn’t speak, he added, “And it’s not just  _ you _ that I could punish for your lie.”

Violetpaw felt an icy claw of fear stab her to the heart.  _ Why couldn’t I just keep my big mouth shut? _ she asked herself despairingly.  _ If I’d told him I didn’t know, he wouldn’t have believed me. _

“Who  _ exactly  _ said this was okay?” Darktail persisted. “Was it Slit? Or some other cat? Was it  _ Needletail _ ?”

Violetpaw took a step back, but Darktail still held her with his intense gaze, as if he could see right into her mind and watch her memory of the encounter when Alderheart and the other medicine cats arrived in the RiverClan camp.

“It  _ was _ Needletail wasn’t it?” Darktail meowed.

“I—I don’t know . . .,” Violetpaw mewled. “I didn’t really see . . .”

But it was far too late for that. Darktail bent his head closer still, until Violetpaw could smell his disgusting, fishy breath. There was a tinge of blood scent in his breath, making her shudder. 

“I only want the truth,” he continued, his voice no more than a whisper. “I won’t punish Needletail—why should I? She has always been loyal to me. She was one of the first cats to join my Kin.”

  
  


Violetpaw desperately wanted to believe him.  _ And if I don’t tell him now, Slit probably will. _ “Yes,” she whispered, still unsure that she was doing the right thing. “Needletail did say that they could take the herbs.”

“Thank you.” Darktail’s eyes flashed with anger. His gaze raked the camp until he spotted the silver she-cat, who was just emerging from the bushes with a mouse in her jaws. “Needletail!” he called.

He began striding swiftly across the camp toward Needletail, who startled at the sound of his voice and dropped the prey she was carrying.

Violetpaw scurried after him. A wave of panic surged through her as Darktail grabbed Needletail roughly by her scruff and flung her to the ground.

“What were you doing, giving away our herbs?” he yowled. “Are you a spy? Are you loyal to the Kin or not? Are you like that mate of yours, that useless, mange-pelt Rain?”

Needletail cowered, terrified under the barrage of questions. She was struggling to stay calm, but Darktail’s furious onslaught had unnerved her.

“You said you wouldn’t punish her!” Violetpaw cried, horrified as she stared at her friend, whose pelt was prickling with fear.

“She is not being punished,” Darktail snorted. “She is being shown where she’s gone wrong . . . I am  _ helping  _ her.” Turning back to Needletail, he added. “If you’re not happy with the way I’m leading the Kin, you can leave if you want—just like Dawnpelt did.”

Needletail’s eyes widened and she looked even more terrified. And realization struck Violetpaw like a flash of lightning.

_ Could it be that Dawnpelt never made it to ThunderClan . . . because Darktail and his Kin killed her? _ And Cloverfoot . . . and Sparrowtail, and Berryheart. They were all gone too.

Violetpaw couldn’t hold back a shriek of horror. Instantly, Darktail spun around, his eyes slitted and full of rage.

“What, do you want to leave, too?” he asked in a soft, menacing voice. “I don’t want any cats in my Kin who don’t want to be loyal to me.”

“She wants to stay,” Needletail meowed, scrambling up to stand beside Violetpaw. “We both really, really  _ want _ to stay.”

Violetpaw had never been so scared in her life as when Darktail turned a questioning gaze on her. “I want to stay! I promise!” she assured, her voice quavering.

Darktail nodded. “That’s good. You have passed my test, Violetpaw. Because of course I already knew all of this. Did you think Sleekwhisker would have kept it from me?”

_ Of  _ course  _ it was Sleekwhisker! _ Violetpaw shuddered with horror at the thought that Darktail had been toying with her, as if he might have played with a mouse before he killed it.

“As for you,” Darktail went on to Needletail, “because of your betrayal, I have the perfect way to prove your loyalty to me and your Kin.” His eyes narrowed. “You will track down Rain, and you will  _ kill _ her.” Needletail’s eyes rounded with fear. “Until you leave, you will be living with the RiverClan prisoners.” The leader turned to Sleekwhisker, who’s head perked up. “Sleekwhisker will come with you to make sure you get the job done.”

Darktail beckoned with his tail to the two rogues who sat near him, Juniper and Flame, squabbling over the remains of a fish. They padded over, and at Darktail’s order grabbed Needletail by her shoulders, one on each side, as Thistle and Sap did with Duskfur, and began hauling her toward the bramble thicket where the RiverClan prisoners were kept. Needletail struggled for a couple of heartbeats, then let them take her.

“No!” Violetpaw mewed in anguish. Scared and confused, she just wanted to be with her friend. “I’ll go, too!”

“No, no.” Darktail blocked her when she tried to follow, his voice smooth and friendly again. “You’ve proven yourself a good and loyal kit. Not like Dawnpelt, or Cloverfoot, or Needletail—and not like Slit, who gave away herbs that rightfully belonged to her Kin.” He paused, then added, “I said I wouldn’t punish Needletail, and I’m not, but Slit . . . now she does _ deserve _ a punishment.”

Darktail stalked off toward the medicine cat den, and, not knowing what else to do, Violetpaw followed close behind.

_ Oh StarClan . . . what have I done? _


	22. Chapter Twenty

“So, what’s the problem?” Alderheart asked, emerging from the herb store to greet the gray tabby tom who had just appeared in the medicine den.

Stormcloud let out a long sigh. “I’m not really sure,” he mewed. “I feel guilty for even being here, when so many warriors are so badly wounded.”

“Don’t say that,” Alderheart responded, softly blinking at the gray tom. “Any cat who feels unwell is entitled to come visit the medicine cats. Look what happened to Purdy. If he hadn't decided to put up with his bellyache because he thought we were too busy, he might still be here.”

Stormcloud nodded, his eyes wide, glimmering with sadness. “I really miss Purdy.”

He and Alderheart were alone with Puddleshine in the den. Briarlight had dragged herself over to the fresh-kill with Dovewing, while Leafpool was helping Mothwing and Willowshine check on the RiverClan cats who were still in poor shape after the battle. Even with five medicine cats in the camp, their resources were being stretched thin.

_ They are simply too many cats here, _ he thought.  _ Even if they were all healthy, they couldn’t possibly be comfortable. And some of the RiverClan cats are so seriously hurt that they need care from sunrise to sunset. _

When RiverClan had first arrived, Squirrelflight had suggested using the abandoned Twoleg nest as an overflow camp.

“We could transfer the worst of the injured over there,” she meowed, “and send Leafpool and Willowshine to live with them. There are herbs growing there, right beside the entrance.”

Alderheart had thought that was a brilliant idea, but Russetstar had protested.

“There’s no need for that!” she had snapped. She was worse than ever, her fur matted, eyes wild. Pinenose always had to remind her to eat, and she often only spoke to her kits around the camp. If her kitsE had decided to join the Kin, Alderheart wasn’t sure she would have lasted this long. “This is just temporary. ShadowClan and RiverClan will be back in our own territories soon.”

Bramblestar had thought for a few moments, then warily agreed with the ShadowClan leader. Alderheart suspected that he and Russetstar believed that the Twoleg nest would be vulnerable if the rogues attacked.

_ They could be right, but that still leaves us with a camp that is full to bursting.  _ Poor Dewnose, Mousewhisker, and Toadstep were stuck with rebuilding the dens to fit all the cats, and at this point some of the warriors were sleeping in the apprentices’ den and the nursery. Luckily there were no apprentices or kits and queens to make the dens cramped.

“So, what’s wrong?” Alderheart meowed to Stormcloud. “Come on, spit it out.”

Stormcloud drew one gray tabby paw over his ear. “I can’t sleep,” he confessed. “And sometimes my chest feels so tight that I can barely take a breath.”

“Hmm . . .” Alderheart thought for a moment. “Have you been upset about anything?”

The tabby tom’s ears flicked forward in surprise. “Sure. What  _ isn’t _ there to be upset about?” he demanded. “The camp is so crowded, we’re treading on each other’s tails; Russetstar snaps at any cat who crosses her path, and gets angry when Rowanclaw tries to lead their cats, and adding Mistystar to the mix has only made it worse. And every cat is terrified that Darktail and his rogues will come for us next.”

Alderheart nodded. Stormcloud spoke the truth. Bramblestar was sending out even more patrols, but no cats could agree on the best way of defending themselves. They’d sent more patrols to WindClan, but Mudstar refused to join any battle patrols until Russetstar did what he wanted her to do. 

“I never had to put up with anything like this when I was a kittypet,” Stormcloud went on. “I joined ThunderClan because I believed in what the Clans stood for, and now I’m happy with Mousewhisker as my mate and my new family, but what if—”

He broke off, giving his chest fur a few self-conscious licks.

“What?” Alderheart asked.

Stormheart shook his head. “Nothing.”

Alderheart was pretty sure he knew what the tabby tom had been about to say.  _ What if there are  _ no  _ Clans soon? _ For the first time, Alderheart became aware that this was possible.  _ If the rogues attack us and win, our whole way of life will just be . . . gone. _

Puddleshine padded up from the back of the den. “Can I help?” he asked. Alderheart nodded and shuffled over so Puddleshine could sit next to him. “When I was in ShadowClan, I had similar issues with anxiety, too. Here, follow my lead. Take a deep breath in.” Puddleshine breathed in through his nose and Stormheart followed. They both filled their chests up. “Now let it out.” They both let the air out, and Stormcloud’s shoulders relaxed. “Do this whenever you feel a panic fit come on, okay? Focus on your breath, not your bad thoughts. I hold it for about five heartbeats, but you can hold it longer or shorter if you need too.”

Stormcloud nodded. “Thank you,” he meowed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And don’t be afraid to take things slow,” Alderheart told him. “If you need time to relax, tell Squirrelflight, she’ll be glad to let you off patrols for a while. You can tell her you’re excused from them today.” He turned toward the store, grabbing thyme. “Here, take this. It’ll help.”

“Thank you,” Stormcloud repeated. “Both of you. I feel better already.”

“Let me know how it goes,” Alderheart meowed. “I’m sure everything will work out in the end.”  _ I wish I really believed that, but I’m not sure I do. _

When Stormcloud was gone, Puddleshine pressed against Alderheart, his eyes shining. “You get pretty snappy with patients nowadays,” the calico purred, pressing his nose against Alderheart’s cheek. “You sounded like Jayflight just now.”

“Did I?” Alderheart wanted to say something witty, but he could barely speak as Puddleshine wrapped his tail around Alderheart’s haunches. “I don’t mean to be rude.”

Puddleshine laughed and licked his cheek. “I know,” he mewed, pulling away from the other medicine cat and padding back over to where he was sitting by the store. He opened his jaws to say something, but was cut off when they heard yowls and running pawsteps coming from the camp. They leapt to their paws, and Alderheart’s pads prickled with apprehension, his fur beginning to bristle.

_ Is this the attack? _

Racing past the bramble screen into the clearing, Alderheart saw cats emerging from the thorn tunnel and recognized Ivypool, Goldenheart, Rosepetal, and Snowbush. At first, relief flooded through him, his shoulder fur lying flat again, but as he ran eagerly towards them, his belly cramped with a different kind of fear. There was no sign of Twigpaw or Honeyspots.

Alderheart bounded toward the patrol, his eyes wide as he met Ivypool. Ivypool lowered her head and shook it, her eyes wide and glassy. Rosepetal headed toward the tumbled rocks, meowing, “I’ll fetch Bramblestar,” as she went.

“Just tell me,” Alderheart begged. “I can’t wait for Bramblestar. Is she . . . dead?”

Ivypool’s blue eyes were so full of sorrow, which told Alderheart the news that he didn’t want to hear. “Bramblestar ought to hear this first,” she murmured.

“Please!” Alderheart raked the ground with his claws. “It’s tearing me apart. Please, please tell me!” He jolted when Puddleshine padded up to him and pressed against him.

Ivypool bent her head. “I’m sorry.” Her voice was soft, softer than Alderheart had ever heard it. “We think that Twigpaw and Honeyspots are probably dead.”

As she spoke the words, Alderheart felt something break inside him, like a snapped branch in the frost of leafbare. For a moment, he couldn’t speak; at last, he forced out two words in a hoarse voice: “What happened?”

“We don’t know for sure.” Snowbush was the one to reply, his head drooping sadly. “But we found Twigpaw’s blood and fur beside the Thunderpath near the tunnel where she was born. We could smell Honeyspot’s scent too . . .” His voice cracked. Alderheart felt pain stab at him. Snowbush had lost two of his daughters today.

“Are you  _ sure _ it was them?” Alderheart asked, desperately trying to hold on to hope.

Goldenheart nodded. “The scent was faint, but the blood was Twigpaw’s. We didn’t find any of Honeyspots’ but it looks like the two of them died just like Twigpaw’s mother did . . . hit by a monster.”

Alderheart’s legs felt like they were turning into water; he staggered and slumped against Puddleshine, who held him up, pressing his nose against Alderheart’s head. Rosepetal returned with Bramblestar, deep concern in the Clan leader’s face as he strode up to them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alderheart saw Lilyheart returning from a hunting patrol, Leafshade and Larktail with her, along with Sparkstorm. The four left their prey and bounded over, eager for the news. It seemed the whole Clan was gathering now.

But Alderheart could hardly bear to listen as Bramblestar began to question the search patrol. Lilyheart let out a wail of grief when she heard about her kits. Snowbush pressed against his mate, letting her lean on him, while their two remaining kits stared at each other in disbelief, their eyes hollow..

_ Twigpaw was so young, _ he thought.  _ I can’t believe she’ll never follow me around anymore, or run up and tease me. I can’t believe she’s really . . . gone. _

As he looked up, struggling to push aside his misery, he realized that even more cats, even ShadowClan and RiverClan warriors, were clustering around Bramblestar, listening to Snowbush in horrified silence.

“We searched the area,” the ginger-and-white tabby meowed. “We even crossed underneath the Thunderpath by the tunnel and tried to pick up a trail on the other side, but there were no signs of them.” His voice broke again. “There was nothing more we could do.”

“This is all my fault!” Ivypool exclaimed with a lash of her tail. “I feel so guilty.” Her mew was crackling as she slumped.

Blossomfall and Fernsong approached their mate and nuzzled her, their eyes glassy. “You have nothing to feel guilty about,” Fernsong tried to assure her.

“Oh, but I do!” Ivypool insisted, her blue eyes dark with grief. “I was her mentor, and I knew how much she wanted to go look for SkyClan but I tried to talk her out of it . . . for such stupid reasons, really,” she added, with a glance at her sister.

Dovewing lowered her head and peeled away from the bunch of cats, padding over to Briarlight and sitting heavily beside her mate. Goldenheart watched her go, his tail swishing against the earth as he lowered his head. Alderheart had no interest in what was going on with the four of them.

“ _ I’m _ the one who should be feeling guilty,” he confessed. “I also knew how much Twigpaw wanted to go and find her kin in SkyClan, and I knew she’d been upset. Maybe I could have caught up with her if I’d tried to follow her right away.” He hunched his shoulders under the burden of regret. “I was going to look for her, and then . . .”

“And then what?” Bramblestar prompted, as his son’s voice cracked and he broke off.

“And then Purdy joined StarClan, and I was so caught up in everything that I forgot,” Alderheart admitted, the guilt making his insides twist.

“I was going to search, too,” Lilyheart sighed. “I was the same. And I even remember seeing Honeyspots leave camp that morning.” She hung her head and pressed more against Snowbush, unable to continue. Larktail and Leafshade both let out soft, sad whimpers as their mother spoke. Their sisters were gone.

Bramblestar took a pace forward and nuzzled his son’s neck fur. “We will all miss Honeyspots and Twigpaw greatly,” he meowed. “Their loss is a tragedy. But none of you can blame yourselves. It’s not anyone’s fault.”

_ I know he’s right, _ Alderheart though, glancing at Lilyheart and Ivypool, whose eyes were dull, _ but I can’t help it. I forgot about Twigpaw, and now her and Honeyspots are dead . . . _

\--------

Stars glittered in a clear indigo sky as ThunderClan gathered to sit vigil for their two lost Clanmates, forming a ragged circle in the middle of the camp. Even though they had no bodies, the Clan could honor the young warrior and apprentice and send their spirits out on their journey to StarClan.

Alderheart found it strangely comforting to crouch there in the darkness, with Sparkstorm on one side and Puddleshine on the other, silently supportive, and listen to one cat after another offering their memories of their two lost Clanmates. But at the same time, there was a weird feeling in the camp, perhaps because of the presence of the ShadowClan and RiverClan cats. They had formed an outer circle, listening politely to the ThunderClan ceremony. But Alderheart knew that they couldn’t share his Clanmates’ grief for these two cats; they had hardly known them.

_ The last few days have been so confusing, _ he thought,  _ I don’t suppose many of the others have realized they were gone. _

Ivypool was on her paws now, speaking about when Twigpaw had first become her apprentice, and how she had taken her for her first tour of the territory. “She was so excited, so eager to learn,” she mewed, her voice almost breaking. “She would have made a fine warrior.”

Dipping her head to Bramblestar, she sat down again and curled her tail around her front paws. Fernsong and Blossomfall were both pressing against their mate; Blossomfall nuzzled Ivypool, and her fluffy tail lay across Ivypool’s thin one, while Fernsong groomed her fur

“I’d like to speak.” Sparkstorm got to her paws and Bramblestar nodded. She sat with her tail wrapped around her paws. “I never spent much time with Twigpaw, but knew her well. She reminded me of myself when I was an apprentice: excited, bright-eyed, an excellent hunter, if I do say so myself.” Alderheart smiled as the Clan chuckled around him, watching his sister shuffle and clear her throat. “She was an excellent apprentice and would have made an excellent warrior.” She lowered her head, and a deeper sadness made her eyes glisten. “I knew Honeyspots better. I watched her train and I even helped her with hunting moves. She was a great cat, and I’m very sorry for your loss.” She nodded to Lilyheart and Snowbush and they blinked at Sparkstorm gratefully. Larktail and Leafshade comforted their parents. “That’s all I wanted to say,” Sparkstorm finished. “They were two of the best cats I knew, and I will miss them dearly.”

She sat back down and the Clan murmured in agreement. Briarlight got to her front paws beside Dovewing, who had her nose buried in her fur. “I don’t have much to say, but Little Branch and I were close, and Honeyspots was the sweetest apprentice, always visiting me in the den. Even when she was sick, she was bright and optimistic. I can’t imagine what life will be like without them.” She lowered her head in grief.

Alderheart stood next. He was shaking, and he had no idea what he was going to say.  _ When Twigpaw and Violetpaw arrived,  _ he remembered,  _ many of us were convinced that they were ‘what you would find in the shadows’ from the prophecy. I believed it myself . . . but now I’m not so sure. And I don’t want to start that argument again—not right now. _

As he hesitated, Sparkstorm gave him a gentle nudge to his side, her gaze warm and encouraging. “You can do this,” she whispered.

Suddenly, Alderheart found he could. “Like Ivypool said, Twigpaw was eager to learn,” he stammered. “She was . . . so lively, and she loved life. She felt things so . . . so  _ deeply _ .” At last he came up with the thing he was sure of, and the only thing that mattered now. “Twigpaw was . . . She was like my daughter.”

Feeling breathless, with no more words, he sat down heavily at his sister and Puddleshine’s sides. 

“I have no place here.” Alderheart’s ears perked when Pinenose spoke up from behind them. “And I’m sorry for interrupting. But I feel the need to speak. I fostered Violetpaw when she was a kit,” she blinked at Lilyheart, “and now I can’t imagine losing her. Twigpaw wasn’t in our camp long, but she was such a great cat, so curious, so much like my Flower.” She sighed and shook out her pelt. “I’m so sorry she’s gone.”

The other ShadowClan warriors murmured in agreement.

“Twigpaw was such a smart little bug,” Goldenheart meowed.

“Honeyspots was always a good cat to talk to during Gatherings,” Foxnose of RiverClan spoke up.

“Twigpaw taught me to catch a bird once at a Gathering!” Dapplepaw called

“Neither Honeyspots nor Twigpaw were medicine cat apprentices,” Leafpool spoke up, “but they both knew so much about herbs.”

“Never got to tell Twigpaw how much I appreciated her company,” Jayflight meowed from beside his mother. “I always loved having her around, no matter how much of a beebrain she was.” He gave a soft laugh as Leafpool nudged him.

“Honeyspots told excellent stories, like Purdy!” Wavepaw meowed.

Alderheart’s heart swelled as he listened to each cat’s separate interaction with the now deceased ThunderClan cats. He leaned into Puddleshine’s fur and closed his eyes. Even though Twigpaw and Honeyspots were gone, they both lived on in their Clanmates’ and even warriors of other Clans hearts.

\--------

“Alderheart.” Sparkstorm’s voice made Alderheart’s ears perk. The moon was just beginning to slip toward the horizon; after the vigil, both Alderheart and Sparkstorm had gone their separate ways to sleep in their dens. Alderheart knew the moment he lay down that he wouldn’t be able to go to sleep. No matter how much Puddleshine’s scent calmed him, he just couldn’t get comfortable. He couldn’t stop thinking about Twigpaw.

So, he stayed awake, worrying about Twigpaw and the Clans. He tried to take deep breaths like Puddleshine had taught him, but it didn’t help. He got to his paws and padded over to Sparkstorm, careful not to wake Puddleshine. His sister’s eyes were round with worry. “What’s up?” he asked, swallowing back a yawn.

Sparkstorm blinked at him. She looked unnerved. “I had a weird dream,” she meowed. “I dreamed that I was following three or four cats. I recognized where they were. It felt so real.”

Alderheart blinked in surprise. That sounded like a vision.  _ But why would StarClan contact Sparkstorm? _ “What did these cats look like?”

Sparkstorm squinted, as if she was trying to remember. “Uh, well, I think they were all orange,” she meowed. “Two of them were orange and white.”

Alderheart let out a thoughtful hum. “Well, I’ll think about what it means,” he meowed. “Get some rest. It was probably just a dream, for all we know.”

Sparkstorm nodded slowly. “Thanks,” she murmured, still sounding confused. “I’ll try to get some sleep.” She then smiled. “Glad my brother’s the smartest medicine cat in the Clans. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She nudged him and he purred, giving her a nuzzle.

Sparkstorm stared after her brother as he disappeared into the medicine den. Her paws prickled.  _ That was no dream, _ she thought, digging her claws into the earth. She looked at the camp entrance and padded toward it.  _ Sorry, Alder. But I think I have to do something. _


	23. Chapter Twenty-One

Alderheart got some sleep that morning, until the sun began to rise, trusting Dovewing with Briarlight’s exercises. When he woke, he heard yowls of outrage coming from the camp outside. Tired and dizzy, he got to his paws.  _ Oh StarClan, _ he thought, stumbling out of his nest.  _ What now? _

He glanced at Briarlight, who was sitting with Dovewing. They had obviously been talking about something: Briarlight’s eyes were wide and Dovewing’s head was lowered, as if guilty about something. “Go on,” Briarlight meowed. “We’ll be out in a bit.”

Alderheart nodded and left the mates in the den, brushing past the bramble screen and emerging into the camp to see the dawn patrol padding across the stone hollow from the thorn tunnel. Lionblaze, in the lead, was limping, while blood was trickling from a scratch on Berrynose’s shoulder, and Rosepetal had lost a lump of fur on her side. All three of them were bristling with fury.

“Bramblestar!” Lionblaze yowled, gazing up at the Highledge. “We need to report!”

Their father stuck his head out of his den, took one look at the ragged patrol, and raced down the tumbled rocks to speak with them. Squirrelflight stopped them from where she stood with Mousewhisker and Cinderheart beside the fresh-kill pile; Alderheart heard her let out a shocked meow as she bounded over to her mate’s side. Mousewhisker ran after her while Cinderheart rushed up next to Lionblaze and sniffed his pelt, her eyes wide with worry. Jayfight joined her, pressing against Berrynose, whose cream pelt was bristling.

“What happened?”

“Was it the rogues?”

Alderheart noticed that Russetstar and Mistystar had also slipped out of the warriors’ den and drawn closer with a few of their own warriors around them. They said nothing, but their eyes were watchful.

Leafpool pushed her way through the crowd and began sniffing at her son’s wounds. “Give us some space,” she meowed. “These cats need medicine.”

“All in good time,” Bramblestar responded, waving his tail to keep the rest of the cats back. “First we need to know what happened.”

“We ran into some rogues at the ShadowClan border,” Rosepetal began.

Bramblestar closed his eyes briefly. “Please tell me you didn’t cross!” he mewed, exasperated.

“We did not!” Berrynose exclaimed, his pelt puffing up in indignation. “But those mange-pelts crossed into  _ our _ territory and attacked  _ us _ !” His stubby tail twitched.

Angry murmurs rose from the cats who surrounded the patrol. Cinderheart drew her lips back in the beginning of a snarl and clawed at the ground in front of her.

“They drove us off.” Lionblaze’s tail-tip was twitching furiously; Alderheart could understand his cousin’s anger at having been defeated by a bunch of rogues.

“Because we were way outnumbered,” Berrynose sniffed. “But we did give them something to remember us by.” He swiped his tongue around his jaws as if he had tasted a particularly juicy piece of fresh-kill.

“One of them—Sap was his name—yowled at us,” Rosepetal meowed. “He told us that the rogues are coming for ThunderClan soon. He said ‘It’s only a matter of time.’”

“Of course they’re coming for us” Tawnypelt shouldered her way into the center of the circle that surrounded the patrol. “They defeated us, now they think they’re more powerful than three Clans  _ combined. _ We must drive them out.”

“This would never have happened if Russetstar had taken action moons ago!” Mistystar snapped, glaring at the russet leader. “Plus she didn’t even have the guts to kill Darktail when we attacked the first time.” Russetstar lowered her head, angry. “This is all happening because of ShadowClan. Now they have my territory as well!”

The proud ShadowClan leader didn’t respond. She only kept her eyes on her paws. Pinenose stepped up beside her, lifting her nose into the air. “If  _ WindClan  _ hadn’t retreated like they did, we might have had a chance to win. We were lucky that so many cats stayed behind.”

Mistystar huffed. “You’re right. Mudstar is nothing but a nuisance.”

“That’s enough blaming other cats,” Bramblestar meowed, his eyes narrow. “Things are difficult for every cat nowadays. Arguing will not help.”

“I don’t want to fight,” Mistystar meowed. “I know that things are hard for every Clan. But we  _ must _ do something. As soon as we can. We can’t just spend the rest of our days in ThunderClan camp.”

Bramblestar nodded. “I agree with you, but it’s not as simple as attacking the rogues outright. Remember, we tried that once—it didn’t go well.”

“Plus, we still have Clanmates in the Kin,” Puddleshine spoke up, his eyes round. “I have siblings, and Tawnypelt has her grandkits.”

Shadethroat of RiverClan snorted. “You still want to protect those vile creatures you call Clanmates?” she hissed. “They’ve done nothing but aid Darktail.”

Puddleshine glared at her. “Maybe we should attack RiverClan!” he snapped. “See how you like seeing your Clanmates get hurt.”

“We are  _ not _ attacking my camp!” Mistystar yowled, her eyes narrow. “Darktail could kill the RiverClan prisoners! My deputy and kin are there. We’re already broken enough, we don’t need to make it worse.”

“We can’t attack the Kin now,” Bramblestar sighed. “There’s too much at risk. Besides, without WindClan, we’d be outnumbered.”

Alderheart let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He couldn’t handle another battle. He turned to Puddleshine, and suddenly realized that he felt as if something was missing. He scanned the camp, then realized what it was. “Have you seen Sparkstorm?” he whispered to Puddleshine.  _ She won’t be happy she missed this. _

Puddleshine blinked and shrugged. “I shared a mouse with her after the vigil, but that was the last time I saw her,” he answered. “I think she’s on a hunting patrol or something.”

Alderheart shuffled. All the patrols were home. Before he could think more about his sister, Bramblestar’s yowl broke him out of his thoughts: “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a meeting of the Clans.”

Most of the warriors were already out in the clearing. Alderheart spotted Briarlight and Dovewing exiting the medicine den, while Daisy, Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Brackenfur padded out of the elders’ den. Mothwing and Willowshine emerged from the nursery where they were caring for some of the injured RiverClan warriors. Willowshine stood beside Alderheart, blinking at him and taking a seat.

“We need a plan,” Bramblestar began, while all the cats were settling in the clearing, looking up at the Highledge. “The rogues have surprised us again by attacking RiverClan, and the ShadowClan cats are right that we can’t go on like this. I know that we’re overcrowded here and everything is uncomfortable and tense. But there are many reasons why we can’t mount an attack on the rogues right now. If any cat has an idea of what we might do instead, I’d be happy to hear it.”

For a moment, no cat responded. Foxnose of RiverClan stepped forward. “I know this is a long shot,” he meowed, clearing his throat, “but we can always ask WindClan if RiverClan can stay with them for a while.” He glanced at Mistystar, whose eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Mudstar has no quarrel with us—at least he hasn’t shown much hostility toward us since the last Gathering—and that way ThunderClan would be much less crowded.”

Bramblestar shared a glance with Squirrelflight. “I suppose that could work,” the ThunderClan deputy meowed. “But Mudstar would have to agree.”

“Of course,” Foxnose meowed.

Bramblestar nodded. “Very well. Foxnose, you can go with Dewnose, Mousewhisker, and Mothwing to ask WindClan to ask his permission.”

“Actually,” Mousewhisker rose beside his spot with Stormcloud, shuffling his paws. The calico tom shared a glance with Stormcloud, who smiled and nodded. “I’m afraid I shouldn’t be leaving camp until the kits are born.”

Alderheart’s ears perked. Every cat in the camp seemed surprised as well. But it was easy to see the swell to Mousewhisker’s stomach. Hazeltail’s eyes lit up as she nudged her brother. Then, anxiety gripped at Alderheart again.  _ This isn’t the time to have kits, not with his rogues in Clan territory, _ he thought, his heart aching for the mates.

“Yes, of course,” Bramblestar stuttered. “Congratulations, you two.”

“I’ll go instead,” Shadethroat meowed, stepping forward and standing with Dewnose, Foxnose, and Mothwing.

“Thank you.” Bramblestar dipped his head to Shadethroat. “You three can go whenever you’re ready.”

Stormcloud stood beside Mousewhisker. “We’ve been worried,” he meowed slowly. “I can’t have my kits born during a war. I don’t want my kits to have to endure what we do.” His voice broke. “What if—what if the Clans don’t make it through this? Will my kits be born loners?”

Yowls of outrage arose in the clearing. Stormcloud stepped back, his ears flat.

“That can’t happen!” one cat yowled.

“There have  _ always _ been Clans!”

Mousewhisker shook his head. “Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away,” he stated, lifting his head. “We’re no closer to finding out what the prophecy Alderheart got all those moons ago means.”

“We’ve got other things on our mind!” Cloudtail snapped. Brightheart put her tail on her mate’s shoulder, pressing her nose to his cheek.

Lionblaze stepped forward, next to Mousewhisker. “That’s true, but it seems obvious now that the sky has darkened for all the Clans. If we don’t put our heads together and find a way to clear it we could lose everything!” He lashed his tail. “Everything!”

Alderheart felt a chill pass through him from ears to tail-tip. No cat had spoken so boldly about what might happen if the Clans failed to drive away Darktail’s Kin.  _ We need to find SkyClan and bring them back, _ he thought.  _ I’m sure that that would clear the sky! But there’s no way to make that happen right now! _

He could feel the tension in the air as his Clanmates shifted uneasily, and from somewhere in the crowd a cat let out a whimper of fear.

The horrified silence seemed to stretch out for moons, until suddenly Mistystar spoke.

“We need time for RiverClan to heal,” she meowed. “We can’t do anything until they’re fit to fight. We might be able to heal faster in WindClan’s camp, if Foxnose’s plan is successful. But it troubles me to leave our cats as prisoners for so long.”

The crowd grew quiet again, until Sorreltail stepped forward. “I know! Why don’t we see if we can come up with a way to sneak the RiverClan cats out, one or two at a time?”

“And how would we do that?” Berrynose asked with a disdainful sniff. “The rogues must be guarding them pretty carefully. Besides, I heard a rumor that some medicine cats tried to enter RiverClan camp, and got sent away with a flea in their ear.”

As he spoke, Alderheart was aware of Bramblestar turning a hard stare on him; refusing to meet his father’s gaze, he studied his paws until he realized with relief that Bramblestar wasn’t going to say anything.

Hollytuft whipped her head around to face Berrynose. “So what’s  _ your _ plan?” she demanded. “Do you have anything better?”

Before the sisters could say anything more, Mothwing rose to her paws and came to stand beside them. “It would be wonderful to rescue our Clanmates,” she mewed, “but we would need a cat on the inside to help us.”

She glanced across at Alderheart; when he caught the meaningful look in her eyes, he realized she was remembering their visit to RiverClan, when Violetpaw and Needletail had taken them to see Slit.

_ It seemed like Needletail was doubting being with the Kin. _

“Does any cat here know one of the cats in the rogue camp?” Mothwing asked. “I mean, know them well enough to trust them with a plan?”

Russetstar let out a huff. “Obviously there are ShadowClan cats there,” she replied, “but who knows where their loyalties lie now?” She glanced over at Strikestone, who looked uncomfortable.

“It's hard to say,” the black-and-white tom meowed, not meeting his leader’s gaze.

“I know a couple,” Alderheart added quietly, still remembering his visit with Mothwing and Puddleshine. “But I can’t be sure that they would help us.”

Up on the Highledge, Bramblestar was looking thoughtful. “I think we ought to consider this carefully,” he meowed at last. “Let’s sleep on it. It’s important to be sure; we don’t want to give away our plan to a cat we can’t trust.”

As the meeting drew to an end, the crowd of cats broke up into little huddles, anxiously discussing what they should do, while Foxnose, Dewnose, Mothwing, and Shadethroat slipped out of camp to see Mudstar. Alderheart followed Puddleshine, Leafpool, and the injured patrol back to the medicine den. He thought of Needletail, and it felt like a tree was laying on his chest. Could he trust his old friend?


	24. Chapter Twenty-Two

Brindlepaw watched as Sedgewhisker and Nightcloud spoke across the camp, getting ready to take her and Smokepaw out for her first training session. It had taken some time for Kestrelflight to convince Heathertail and Breezepelt to let Brindlepaw train alongside her sister, but eventually they gave in. Mudstar hadn’t seemed happy either as Kestrelflight explained that Brindlepaw needed to be ready if the Kin attacked.

“Medicine cats fighting like warriors,” their leader had snorted, his amber eyes narrow. “WindClan medicine cats have never learned to fight.” Mudstar’s mood was ever changing nowadays, and Kestrelflight seemed on edge about it, worried that Mudstar was losing touch with reality thanks to the Kin. If Mudstar died without a deputy, WindClan would be in shambles. Kestrelflight was always seen muttering prayers to StarClan going out of his way to find omens from their ancestors. Brindlepaw was more worried for her mentor than she was her leader and her Clan.

Most of the Clan, however, was happy that their medicine cat apprentice was learning to defend herself. Sedgewhisker was the most excited; originally, Nightcloud was going to mentor Brindlepaw alongside Smokepaw, but Sedgewhisker had objected, saying that she could mentor her friend. It hadn’t been long since Sedgewhisker’s last apprentice, Ferntail, became a warrior, but Sedgewhisker didn’t seem to mind.

The medicine cat apprentice’s paws tingled with excitement. However, it was nerve wracking waiting for their mentors to finish and take them out. Her heart was racing. “What’s it going to be like?” she asked Smokepaw.

Smokepaw shrugged. “It’s just the beginning of your training, so not much will happen most likely,” she meowed. That put a damper on Brindlepaw’s excitement before Smokepaw nudged her. “I’ll go easy on you, don’t worry.”

Brindlepaw purred and nudged her back. “I don’t need you to,” she meowed, her eyes sparkling. She took a deep breath, straightening herself when Sedgewhisker and Nightcloud approached them.

“Are you ready to go?” Nightcloud asked, blinking at her granddaughters.

The bubbles of excitement popped in Brindlepaw’s belly, making her giddy. “Yes,” she meowed. Her heart was in her throat as they made their way to the entrance of camp. Ferntail and Larksoar were sitting nearby, eating a rabbit.

Ferntail’s ears perked when she saw the apprentices. “Good luck!” she called, blinking at them.

“Don’t be too rough with her, Smokepaw,” Larksoar purred. Brindlepaw’s pelt prickled. Smokepaw had many more moons training than she did. What if Brindlepaw got hurt? She shook herself of that thought.  _ Smokepaw won’t hurt me, _ she told herself. She calmed herself as they padded out of the gorse tunnel.

It didn’t take long to get to the heather fields, where most apprentices went to train. They crossed Harespring, Gorsetail, Oatclaw, and Featherpelt as they went, all of them carrying prey. Oatclaw and Featherpelt had their tails intertwined, making Brindlepaw purr. “Good afternoon,” Sedgewhisker meowed. “Did your hunt go well?”

“It went fine,” Gorsetail meowed. “Greenleaf is being kind to us, thankfully.” The senior had a fat rabbit in her jaws. She blinked at Brindlepaw. “On your way to your first battle session?”

“Yes,” Brindlepaw meowed, dipping her head in respect to the older cat.

“I wish you luck. I’ve always thought medicine cats should be trained by a warrior at some point in their training. You never know what could happen.” She nodded at the other warriors. “Stay safe.” The hunting patrol continued on their way back to camp and Brindlepaw watched them go. Once again, uneasiness made Brindlepaw’s chest tighten. Gorsetail was right: there  _ was  _ no way to know what would happen. What if the Kin attacked them while they were training?

“Hurry up!” Smokepaw’s call broke her out of her thoughts, making her jolt. Her sister and the others were already a few foxlengths ahead of her. Picking up the pace, Brindlepaw followed her Clanmates the rest of the way to the heather fields.

When they reached the purple flowers, Sedgewhisker and Nightcloud tasted the air and sniffed the ground. The scent of the heathers covered up any other smell around them. Brindlepaw scanned the moor as well, making sure there were no other cats around. “Okay, let’s get started,” Nightcloud meowed, settling down on her haunches.

“Before we begin training, you should know about the most vulnerable spots a warrior can strike,” Sedgewhisker meowed to Brindlepaw.

The apprentice’s ears perked. “I already know that.” Brindlepaw felt a sense of pride when Sedgewhisker blinked in surprise. “Kestrelflight told me before, when I first started training. The stomach, eyes, and throat are the most vulnerable spots. You can be easily blinded or bleed out there.”

Sedgewhisker shared a glance with Nightcloud before she gave a smile. “Good job,” she meowed. “While fighting warriors, you should never aim for the eyes unless your life is in danger, but . . .” She trailed off, clearing her throat.

“The Kin is different,” Nightcloud said for the younger warrior. “These cats show no mercy, we shouldn’t either.” Her amber eyes narrowed. “Don’t hold back if we’re in a battle with the Kin.”

Smokepaw and Brindlepaw gave each other surprised looks before nodding. Brindlepaw was sure that Smokepaw was always taught to never kill another; it was in the Warrior Code, it would be shameful to do so.  _ I’ve never thought about  _ killing _ another cat. _ Brindlepaw shivered as she thought of Hootwhisker back home.  _ I’ve seen what the Kin can do, but still . . . _

“Anyway,” Sedgewhisker went on, “this training is only a precaution in case you ever do need to fight another cat. We’re not even sure if you’re going to use it in the future.” Brindlepaw nodded slowly. “Let’s start. “ Sedgewhisker stood next to her apprentice. “We’ll begin with a quick lesson in stalking. Brindlepaw, you’ve hunted before, haven’t you?”

“Once,” Brindlepaw meowed. “I was out collecting herbs with Kestrelflight and I caught a rabbit.”

“Good. Show me your hunting crouch.”

Brindlepaw crouched down, her tail whipping wildly to keep balance. “Like this?”

Sedgewhisker put her paw on Brindlepaw’s shoulder. “Keep your tail up a bit higher and keep it still.” Brindlepaw did as she was told, raising her haunches. “Perfect. Now stalk forward. Try not to step on any twigs or coarse grass. If we’re planning a sneak attack, this is how you want to move. You’re doing great!” Brindlepaw purred, pride rushing through her.

“Here—” Nightcloud picked a piece of heather and put it a few taillengths in front of Brindlepaw, “—pretend this is an enemy warrior. Don’t make any sound.”

Nodding, Brindlepaw began padding forward, keeping her pawsteps light. She stared at the heather intently, her heart thumping. Once she got close enough, she leapt forward, landing just behind the heather. She huffed.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sedgewhisker meowed. “We’re not teaching you to hunt, that’d be much different. If that were a warrior, you could have easily attacked them still. We’ll work on that later.”

“What are we going to do now?” Smokepaw asked, getting to her paws and stretching. “I can teach Brindlepaw how to do a belly rake!” Her blue eyes shined with excitement.

Nightcloud gave her apprentice a smile. “I understand you’re excited, but Brindlepaw is still Sedgewhisker’s apprentice. You won’t be teaching her anything today.” Smokepaw huffed, but nodded. “That is a good idea, though. It’s an easy move. Come here, Brindlepaw, in front of Smokepaw. Smokepaw, all you have to do is pounce on your sister and keep her pinned down.”

Brindlepaw blinked. “I  _ want _ her to pin me down?”

“That’s only to show you how to do the move,” Sedgewhisker explained. “During a real battle, you should always avoid letting a warrior pin you down, especially if they’re bigger or stronger than you. All you have to do is keep calm, drag your hind claws down your enemy’s stomach, and get them off of you.”

Brindlepaw braced herself as Smokepaw wriggled her hind quarters and leapt forward. The gray apprentice pinned her sister and Brindlepaw gasped as she put her paws on her shoulders. Wriggling, Brindlepaw dragged her back paw down Smokepaw’s stomach, before pressing her back paws against her stomach and shoving her off. When she got up, her legs were shaking a bit and she was panting.

“Great job!” Sedgewhisker meowed, blinking at her. “I’m surprised you were strong enough to throw her off.”

Brindlepaw’s whiskers twitched a bit. “I am too,” she meowed, her breath still heavy. “Do you think I’ll be strong enough to take on a Kin rogue?”

“With enough training, you sure will.” Sedgewhisker nudged her apprentice and touched her ear with her nose. Brindlepaw purred, her heart swelling. She’d be able to fight another cat in no time with Sedgewhisker as her mentor.

Nightcloud’s ears perked suddenly and she opened her jaws to taste the air. “Do you smell that?”

Brindlepaw’s heart began to race when Sedgewhisker sniffed as well, then nodded. “Just ThunderClan cats,” she meowed. She padded forward with the others behind her, and when they got on top of the hill in front of them, they saw four cats. The WindClan cats ran down toward them. Brindlepaw recognized Mothwing, but the other three were unknown to her. “Good afternoon, Dewnose,” Sedgewhisker meowed, dipping her head to the young ThunderClan warrior. “And Shadethroat, Mothwing, and Foxnose. What are you doing here?” Her eyes lit up with fear. “ThunderClan is okay, right? You weren’t attacked by the Kin?”

“No,” Foxnose meowed, stepping forward, “nothing like that, don’t worry, we’re just here to speak with Mudstar.”

Brindlepaw shared a glance with Smokepaw. “Mudstar isn’t in a good mood,” Nightcloud explained. “It’d probably be best if you came back tomorrow.”

Foxnose glanced at Mothwing, his eyes wide. “It’s important,” Mothwing insisted. “We have to speak with him today.”

Nightcloud sighed. “Alright, but if he claws your ears off, don’t blame us.” She flicked her tail to them and the cats followed her toward camp. Brindlepaw stared at the RiverClan cats. Ever since the Kin attacked RiverClan, she wondered what had happened the night before. She knew that the queen, who was revealed to be Dawnpelt, was trying to bring her kits to RiverClan, but didn’t know anything else about it. She sidled up next to Foxnose, her paws prickling. Would it be rude to ask what actually happened?

“I understand if you don’t want to talk about it,” she began, catching Foxnose’s attention, “but can I ask what exactly happened the night before the attack?” She flattened her ears when Foxnose flinched.

The ginger tom looked at his paws. “I wasn’t there when they were getting Dawnpelt’s kits, but my mom, Shimmerpelt, was,” he began, his eyes wide with sorrow. “She died that night. Dawnpelt was never supposed to be seen, we had Kin cats on our side, we thought we were okay.”

“Did—did Dawnpelt die that night?” Brindlepaw’s stomach cramped. Dawnpelt had  _ kits _ for StarClan sake. Would the Kin really kill a mother of kits who barely had their eyes open?

“She was chased off by her daughter, Sleekwhisker, is what Strikestone told me,” Foxnose explained. “At dawn the next day, Duskfur, Shadethroat, and Perchwing went to find her. Her scent trail went much further than Sleekwhisker’s but . . . we never found her.”

Brindlepaw sighed. There was still hope that Dawnpelt was okay. “Her poor kits,” she murmured. “I hope they’re doing well.”

“Lakeheart is nursing them in ThunderClan and they still have their brother, Strikestone,” Foxnose meowed. “I heard they were looking around for Dawnpelt yesterday, but they seem pretty alright otherwise.”

Before Brindlepaw could say anymore, Leaftail shouted. They had reached camp, and the ginger tom was just coming home with Ferntail, Furzepelt, and Breezepelt. Breezepelt gave his daughter a blink. “What are  _ they _ doing here?” he growled, his fur bristling along his spine.

Nightcloud gave the younger warrior an annoyed look, amber eyes narrow. “Calm down,” she huffed. “They're just here to speak with Mudstar.”

As his Clanmates and the visitors passed them into camp, Leaftail snorted. “Good luck with that. Ever since RiverClan was raided, Mudstar’s been on edge.”

Foxnose’s ears perked and he shared a glance with Shadethroat. “Do you think he’s going to turn us down?” he whispered, and his sister shrugged. Brindlepaw tilted her head.  _ What do they want to ask Mudstar anyway? _ She wondered.

The Clan was quieter than it was before Brindlepaw left. It was obvious that Mudstar had sent out more border patrols. It was after sunhigh, much too early for a dusk patrol. Speaking of the WindClan leader, he was sitting in front of the Tallrock with his paws tucked under his chest, his tail flicking as if he was nervous. His ears perked and his eyes narrowed when he saw the ThunderClan and RiverClan warriors. He got to his paws and padded over to them.

“Why are you always bringing home trouble, Sedgewhisker?” he snarled. Sedgewhisker wrinkled her nose and snorted, but Nightcloud nudged her, shaking her head before she could say anything. “What do you want?” He glared at the intruding cats.

Foxnose lowered himself as he approached Mudstar. “We’re only here to ask you for a favor,” he began, his voice shaking. Mudstar settled himself, wrapping his flicking tail around his paws and nodding for Foxnose to continue. “ThunderClan is much too overpopulated for all of the RiverClan cats to stay here,” Foxnose explained. “All we’re asking is for WindClan to take a few of us in until the Kin leaves our territory.”

Brindlepaw’s ears perked in surprise. Warriors murmured around her, some cats wrinkled their noses in disgust, others gave the RiverClan cats sympathetic looks. Mudstar’s face wrinkled in rage and he bared his teeth. “Are you serious?” he hissed. “How are you sure that we will ever get rid of the Kin? And why should we help cats who can’t even defend their own territory?”

“Yes! RiverClan cats are soft and lazy anyway,” Leaftail hissed, his tail lashing. A few other cats murmured in agreement, their eyes narrow. Brindlepaw shared a glance with Mothwing, her heart thumping.

“Maybe it’d be best to let them stay,” Brindlepaw meowed, stepping up next to Foxnose. “If the Kin attacks here, we’ll have more warriors to defend ourselves.”

“I agree,” Kestrelflight spoke up from where he sat near the medicine den.

Mudstar turned on his medicine cats. “Of  _ course _ you’d think we should take them in,” he snarled.

Sedgewhisker stood in front of her apprentice, her eyes narrowing. “It’s part of the Warrior Code that we must help a Clan in need,” she meowed, her fur fluffing up. “You were there and agreed when Bramblestar made that a rule, after the flood. You wouldn’t go against the Code  _ again _ would you, Mudstar?”

Mudstar’s eyes blazed. “Why you little—”

“Enough.” Onewhisker got to his paws from where he was sitting with his mate and denmate, Whitetail. He looked tired as he glared at his brother .”There’s no reason to fight,” he sighed. “Let’s fix this like we did in the old forest: we’ll cast stones.”

  
  


Mudstar gave Onewhisker an annoyed look, but he nodded. “Very well,” he huffed. “It will be the whole Clan’s decision whether the RiverClan cats come here.”

“What’s casting stones?” Larksoar asked.

“Each warrior gets a stone,” Onewhisker explained. “If you put a stone near the nursery, you vote for them to stay, if you put them where the warriors sleep, you vote for them to go back to ThunderClan.” He blinked at the young warriors. “Don’t be afraid to go against the current with this, every cat has a different opinion.”

It didn’t take long for the warriors to find their stones that were laying around camp. Brindlepaw watched the cats begin voting. The elders started first, Onewhisker and Whitetail both put their stones near the nursery, then Mudstar put his stone near the warriors’ nests. Gorsetail put hers there as well, giving the RiverClan cats a guilty look. Each warrior went on by one, oldest to youngest. When it came to Brindlepaw, she put her stone near the nursery. She blinked at Smokepaw as she put hers there as well.

Once they were finished, there were three fewer stones near the warriors’ nests than there were near the nursery. Brindlepaw’s heart lifted and she glanced at Foxnose. Mudstar’s eyes narrowed and he huffed. “Fine,” he sniffed. “But no injured warriors, Hootwhisker is our top priority. And  _ no _ ShadowClan cats.”

Foxnose leapt to his paws, his eyes shining. “Yes, of course!” He dipped his head. “Thank you, Mistystar will forever be grateful for your kindness.”

“I can bring herbs for Brindlepaw and Kestrelflight,” Mothwing meowed. “I have to stay in ThunderClan to help heal my warriors, but I hope it’ll help.”

“We’d greatly appreciate it,” Kestrelflight purred, sitting beside his apprentice.

Brindlepaw’s heart swelled. She looked at Onewhisker and gave him a blink of gratitude. The RiverClan cats would be safe here, and, with them, WindClan’s camp would be easier to defend. If the Kin came, there was no way the Clans would lose.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Three

Violetpaw crouched over the body of a fat wood pigeon, tearing at the succulent flesh. All around her, Darktail and his Kin were gulping down their prey. The sun felt warm on Violetpaw’s back, and from close by she could hear the gentle gurgling of the streams that bordered the RiverClan camp.

_ It must have been so beautiful here, before Darktail and his rogues attacked. _

“Wow, I’ve never seen a pigeon disappear so fast,” Darktail meowed, looking up at Violetpaw from the rabbit he was eating. His eyes gleamed teasingly. “Maybe you’d like some of the rabbit as well.”

Wasptail’s ears pricked up when she heard Darktail, her nose wrinkling. She had a scrawny squirrel in her jaws, bringing it to Grassheart where she sat with Whorlpaw and Flowerpaw. The mothers had lost hope in their kit, Snakepaw, coming home, as it had been over a quarter moon since any cat saw a trace of her. Violetpaw’s heart ached for them. Snakepaw was a good cat.

Violetpaw had to choke down her mouthful; she trusted Darktail even less when he was being friendly. “No thanks, Darktail. I’m not even sure I can finish this.”

“Well, tell me if you change your mind,” Darktail responded. “We can’t have you starving, can we?”

As he spoke, Wasptail cleared her throat from where she sat with her mate. “Maybe we should give the leftover prey to the RiverClan prisoners—and to Needletail. They’re beginning to look really skinny. After all,” she added with a glance toward the center of the camp, where the prisoners were kept, “if we’re going to keep them prisoner, isn’t it our responsibility to see that they’re healthy?”

Violetpaw spotted Darktail narrowing his eyes, his muzzle tensing in anger, then an instant later relaxing. His voice was calm as he replied to Wasptail.

“Of course I’m feeding the prisoners well. Do you have any reason to think otherwise?”

Wasptail glared at Darktail, hatred shining visibly in her eyes. Looking from one cat to the other, Violetpaw felt her neck fur bristle with fear.  _ Don’t say it, _ she pleaded silently.  _ Your mate and kits would be heartbroken if something happened to you. Don’t do this to them. _

Slowly, Darktail rose to his paws and padded over to Wasptail, thrusting his face within a mouse-length of the yellow tabby warrior’s.

“Wasptail,” he meowed softly, “do you doubt my ability to lead my Kin? Perhaps you’re not truly my Kin. Not every cat is. Perhaps you would be happier somewhere else.”

Wasptail was silent for a few more heartbeats. Her eyes flicked toward Grassheart and her kits. “No, Darktail,” she meowed, a hiss edging her tone. “I don’t doubt you. You know what’s best.”

For a long moment, Darktail did not move, staring into Wasptail’s eyes. At last, when Violetpaw thought she could not bear the tension any longer, he gave a curt nod and padded back to where he had left his rabbit, close beside Sleekwhisker and Slit. Slit had been by Darktail’s side since they were punished, a nasty slit in their ear. Violetpaw’s stomach wrenched as she thought of Rain.  _ The punishment could’ve been much worse. _

Wasptail padded away from the rest of her Kin, followed by Yarrowleaf, who gave Sleekwhisker a quick nuzzle before rushing off.

“Don’t go far,” Darktail called after them. “The prisoners’ den needs to be cleaned out soon.”

_ Poor Wasptail,  _ Violetpaw thought.  _ She needs to control her temper. _ Now that there were no apprentices, Darktail saved the worst jobs for cats who had angered him. Poor Slit had cleaned the prisoner’s den last. Violetpaw glanced at Slit, whose one eye was hollow. His ribs were showing under his short pelt; it was obvious that Darktail wasn’t letting him have any of the prey, only giving him enough to live. Violetpaw wondered if it was lucky that Darktail seemed to realize that the Kin needed a medicine cat too badly for Slit to die, or if his suffering was too much.

When Wasptail and the others were gone, Sleekwhisker let out an exaggerated sigh. “When will  _ all  _ the ShadowClan warriors leave? It’s obvious they don’t understand how you work, Darktail. They’re not worthy of your leadership!”

Darktail turned a baleful gaze on her. “Don’t forget  _ you _ were once a ShadowClan cat,” he reminded her. “You and that mate of yours.” He jabbed a nose toward Yarrowleaf, who was washing herself with Sap and Flame.

Sleekwhisker snorted. “We haven’t thought of ourselves as ShadowClan cats in a long time,” she responded boldly, and Violetpaw resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “We’re Kin now, through and through. I was one of the first cats to join you, while these other mange-pelts were ShadowClan right up to the time you took over their territory. And the sooner they leave, the better.”

She glanced up at Darktail with wide, innocent eyes, but her leader turned a sharp glare on her, making them narrow with agitation.

“You shouldn't be wishing for that!” Darktail snapped. “We need the ShadowClan cats. Even with our kittypet friends and our new Kin, we’re still outnumbered by the Clan warriors.”

_ That’s Darktail’s own fault,  _ Violetpaw thought.  _ Maybe if he weren’t such a tyrant, none of the ShadowClan cats would have left! _

“Wow, I’m stuffed!” she exclaimed, rising to her paws and grabbing up the remains of her pigeon. “I can’t finish this,” she mumbled through the mouthful of feathers.

Darktail and the rest of his Kin seemed not to be paying any attention to her. Violetpaw carried the pigeon over to the refuse pile and dropped it there, her nose wrinkling at the stink of rotting crow-food.

_ This is disgusting, _ she thought.  _ We never left food to rot in the ShadowClan camp. _ She ached as she remembered her ime in ShadowClan, when everything seemed to be okay. She missed it.

With two territories in which to hunt, the Kin was never short of prey. Violetpaw was revolted by how much they wasted, especially when Darktail kept the prisoners starving.

Glancing over her shoulder to make sure that no cat was watching her, Violetpaw slipped through a clump of long grass and wriggled toward an elder bush where she had stashed a particularly fat vole. She had to claw her way through the tangled stems, taking so long to find it that, for a moment, she was afraid that some other creature had come by and stolen her prey.

Then she relaxed as she spotted the smooth curve of the vole’s pelt. Grabbing it in her jaws, she headed for the bramble thicket where the prisoners were guarded.

Violetpaw dropped the vole out of sight behind a rock, then strolled up to Witch and Juniperfang, who were on guard. “Hi,” she meowed. “I’ll keep watch for a bit, if you want to go eat.”

Witch’s eyes lit up, while Juniperfang gave Violetpaw a suspicious glance. However, he licked his jaws and got up. “Great!” Witch exclaimed. “My belly thinks my throat’s been torn out.”

Both cats rushed away, Witch giving Violetpaw a quick blink of gratitude, before disappearing in the direction of the fresh-kill pile.

When they were gone, Violetpaw retrieved the vole and slid through the bramble tendrils until she reached the clear space in the middle of the thicket where the prisoners lived.

For a moment, none of them realized that Violetpaw was there. Brackenpelt and Curlfeather lay stretched out close together; Violetpaw could see every one of their ribs. Brackenpelt’s wound showed red and angry, and Violetpaw realized that Slit had not treated it with any medicine. He had not been allowed to. Duskfur was curled up, asleep, twitching her paws as if she was dreaming. Petalfur was trying to groom herself, but the effort of simply turning her head seemed to exhaust her. She flopped down, panting, on her side after a few feeble licks.

Needletail was pacing in the confined space, and as she turned, she spotted Violetpaw. “Violet!” she huffed, padding up to her. “You shouldn’t be taking these kinds of risks, toadbrain. Darktail will have your fur if he finds you here.”

“I’m worried about you,” Violetpaw replied. She dropped the vole at Needletail’s paws. “I’ve brought you some more food.” Pain clawed at her heart as she saw how tired and defeated her friend looked. Darktail still hadn’t sent her out to take care of Rain. Violetpaw was worried he was waiting for her to be too weak to even fight the lost rogue.  _ What if he  _ wants  _ her to get killed? _ “And I’m careful. Darktail will never find out. Come on, eat.”

Needletail fell on the prey and snatched it up, but instead of starting to eat, she carried it over to the RiverClan prisoners. Violetpaw stared in surprise, her heart warming by her friend’s unselfishness.

“Violetpaw’s here again,” Needletail mewed. “She’s brought you some food.”

The RiverClan cats looked up listlessly, their interest suddenly sharpening as they caught the scent of the vole.

“Thank StarClan,” Brackenpelt breathed out, her jaws starting to water.

Violetpaw watched as the prisoners devoured the vole; it was gone in a few heartbeats, and they only got a couple of mouthfuls each. She noticed that Needletail didn’t get any—she just looked on as the others ate.

“We can’t hang on like this,” Brackenpelt meowed, when the last scrap of prey had vanished. “Darktail’s the cruelest cat I’ve ever known.”

“Hush!” Duskfur gave Brackenpelt a warning prod. “Violetpaw is one of Darktail’s cats.” She cast Violetpaw a suspicious look, but Violetpaw wasn’t offended. She’d be worried as well.

“I don’t care!” Brackenpelt hissed. “Darktail  _ is _ cruel.” She glared up at Violetpaw. “Tell him what I said, and let him do what he likes.”

“I won’t tell him anything,” Violetpaw responded. “ _ I _ think he’s cruel, too.”

“So why do you follow him?” Duskfur asked, surprised.

“She  _ doesn’t  _ follow him, fishbrain,” Needletail pointed out with an irritated twitch of her whiskers. “Would she bring us prey if she agreed with what Darktail is doing?”

“I made a mistake at first,” Violetpaw admitted. “I’m trying to think of a way to help you, and in the meantime I will keep bringing you food when I can.”

The RiverClan cats glanced at one another, and Violetpaw saw the first signs of hope beginning to dawn in their eyes. But before she could say any more, she heard sounds from outside the thicket; pawsteps and the voices of Witch and Juniperfang.

“I’ve got to go,” she whispered.

Needletail nudged her. “Be careful, alright you toad?” Her eyes rounded. “I can’t lose you.”

Violetpaw‘s heart ached, and she nodded, slipping quickly out into the open once more.

As Witch and Juniperfang approached her, Violetpaw noticed that Witch was looking at her with an odd expression.  _ I wonder whether she heard any of that. _

Only the night before, in the nest they still shared, Violetpaw and Witch had talked together long after darkness had fallen.

“I don’t think I want to go home to my housefolk,” Witch had meowed, “but I definitely don’t want to stay here. I want to live as a—what do you Clan cats say? Loner, right.” They smiled, and Violetpaw’s heart had fluttered. “I don’t think Darktail is ever going to let me leave.”

Violetpaw wasn’t able to find the words to reply. Witch seemed to be toughening up to the life they were living, it didn’t surprise her that they wanted to leave the kittypet life. However, poor Witch was just as much a prisoner as the RiverClan cats. 

Now Violetpaw wondered whether Witch would betray her to Darktail if they knew that she was feeding the prisoners.

Violetpaw met Witch’s gaze, hoping to find some kind of clue in their eyes. Their eyes were round. They glanced at Juniperfang, then flicked their tail. They blinked at Violetpaw, smiling at her. The anxiety that gripped at Violetpaw’s chest loosened, before tightening again when a voice made her jump.

“Violetpaw!” Darktail’s voice cut through the air. “Violetpaw, where are you?”

With a swift nod to witch and Juniperfang, Violetpaw bounded across the camp to where Darktail was standing with his Kin around him.

“There you are!” he meowed as Violetpaw ran up to him. “The fresh-kill pile is getting low, I want you to hunt.”

“Sure, Darktail.” Violetpaw kept her expression calm and obedient, but inwardly her heart was soaring. _ This could be just the break I need! _

Sunhigh had past when Violetpaw returned to the RiverClan camp and slung a rabbit on top of the growing fresh-kill pile. She had already brought back several mice and a squirrel.

_ One good thing about the rogues, where every cat is always out for themselves,  _ she reflected,  _ it’s made me a better hunter. _

Even though Clan cats usually hunted in patrols, the Kin often hunted alone so they wouldn’t have to share prey. This time, Violetpaw had insisted on going off by herself, knowing that Darktail wouldn’t question her.  _ He’s been so nice to me ever since I betrayed Needletail, _ she thought with a shudder.  _ And now that I’ve caught enough prey to impress him, I’ve got time for a trip of my own. _

“I’m going to try over in ShadowClan territory,” she called out to any cat who might have been listening, then bounded down to the lakeshore and headed past the Twoleg half-bridge

It wasn’t ShadowClan territory Violetpaw had in mind. It was time to admit she couldn’t fight Darktail alone. She was heading for ThunderClan, and her true kin.

_ I hope Twigpaw isn’t too angry with me for what happened in the battle, and Pinenose, too, for leaving her for the Kin. Because I desperately need help. _

Violetpaw slipped swiftly and silently through the undergrowth, keeping close to the edge of the lake. All her senses were alert for the sound or scent of any rogues who might be hunting in ShadowClan territory, but she didn’t meet any cat until she splashed through the stream that marked the border with ThunderClan.  _ There are less and less cats here by the day, _ Violetpaw thought. The territory had never been this empty.

Drawing a long breath, Violetpaw began to relax, padding more confidently toward the ThunderClan camp, only to grow tense against as powerful, fresh scents—a mixture of ThunderClan and the faint scent of RiverClan—flowed over her from a bank of ferns just ahead. A moment later, the fern fronds waved and three cats pushed their way into the open.

In the lead was a young, gray-and-white tom Violetpaw recognized as Dewnose. The other two were less familiar to her, though she had seen them now and again at Gatherings and knew that they came from RiverClan.  _ I should remember their names . . . Sneezecloud and . . . yes, Wavepaw. _

Violetpaw waited, dipping her head respectfully, as the patrol bounded up to her.

“What are you doing here?” Dewnose asked.

To Violetpaw’s relief, he sounded surprised rather than hostile. “I don’t mean you any harm,” she meowed hastily. “I’ve come for help—and to see my sister.”

“Why should we believe you?” Wavepaw asked roughly. “How do we know you aren’t part of a rogue plan to attack?”

“Hush, Wavepaw,” Sneezecloud ordered his apprentice. “If Darktail wanted to attack, would he warn us by sending an apprentice?” He sniffed. “He wouldn’t warn us at all, we’d be scraps of fur by now.” He shuddered, clearly remembering the battle between his Clanmates and Darktail’s Kin. Wavepaw’s ears flattened as well, and Violetpaw remembered that her mother, Icewing, had died in that same battle.

“I’m here alone,” Violetpaw assured them. “Darktail doesn’t know. If you don’t believe me, you can leave some cat to watch the border while the rest of you escort me.”

Wavepaw gave her a suspicious glance, but Sneezecloud and Dewnose seemed satisfied.

“What about the prisoners?” Sneezecloud asked anxiously. “Are they okay? Will Darktail let them leave soon?”

Violetpaw knew that Sneezecloud was Brackenpelt and Jayclaw’s uncle; she’d often see them patrolling together before RiverClan was taken by Darktail. “They’re still alive,” she told him after a moment’s hesitation. “And they’re part of the reason I’m here. But I need help.”

Dewnose nodded, a pleased look on his face. “I’d better bring you to Bramblestar,” he meowed.

“And Mistystar!” Wavepaw added, raising their head in anger.

Dewnose flicked his tail. “Half of the RiverClan cats are in WindClan,” he muttered, making Violetpaw’s ears perk.  _ Mudstar let RiverClan cats  _ stay  _ with him? _ she thought, shocked. “Fine, Mistystar too.”

Violetpaw followed the warriors through the forest, the two RiverClan cats flanking her on either side. Wavepaw was younger than her, but they were growing to be as big as their Clanmates; it made Violetpaw’s pelt prickle. As she emerged into the clearing from the thorn tunnel, she halted for a moment, overwhelmed by the crowd of cats in front of her.

_ Didn’t Dewnose say half of RiverClan was in WindClan? _ She was stunned by the number of cats in the camp. Over the other side of the camp she caught a glimpse of Strikestone and his siblings. Stalkkit was sleeping, curled up in his belly, while Skunkkit and Magpiekit were playing with each other’s tails. Violetpaw’s heart warmed to see the kits again.  _ They’re so big! _ Then her heart sank when she spotted Rowanclaw and Russetstar nearby, their eyes narrow as they caught Violetpaw’s eye.

Violetpaw cringed inwardly, suddenly more nervous as ever.  _ Why did I think these cats would ever greet me as a friend? _ Then she saw Pinenose. Her mother’s pelt was sleek, she seemed to be taking care of herself. Violetpaw almost wanted to rush over to her and greet her with a nuzzle, but she told herself not to. She didn’t know how Pinenose felt about her now.

“Come on, Violetpaw.” Dewnose touched her shoulder with his tailtip. “I’ll take you to Bramblestar.”

Violetpaw hesitated. “Could I possibly talk to Twigpaw first?”

Dewnose’s gaze clouded with concern, making Violetpaw feel even more agitated.

“What—” she began.

“I think I know a cat who can help you,” Dewnose interrupted her gently.

He hurried off, weaving his way through the groups of cats in the clearing, until he disappeared behind a bramble screen; Violetpaw remembered that was the entrance to the medicine cat den.

A moment later, two cats, one a calico and the other ginger, appeared. A warmth rushed over Violetpaw, her heart racing as she recognized Alderheart and Puddleshine. For a moment, she thought her paws wouldn’t be able to hold her as a wave of happiness crashed into her.

“Violetpaw, oh thank StarClan you’re okay!” Puddleshine meowed as he bounded up to her, Alderheart close behind. Her brother nuzzled her, letting out a sigh. Violetpaw breathed in his scent. He smelled different. Like honey and flowers, the scent overwhelming the usual smell of horsetail and pine needles.

“How are you?” Alderheart asked. “And how has Needletail been since we visited with Mothwing? I know she said things were fine, but—” His eyes grew round, and Puddleshine pressed against him.  _ Oh. _ Violetpaw suddenly realized where the scent came from. “Well, they didn’t seem fine.”

“Not fine is right,” Violetpaw told him. “In fact, they could hardly be worse. Darktail’s been getting worse and worse since he took over RiverClan. All he cares about is loyalty, and he punishes any cat he thinks isn’t loyal to him. After Rain ran off, I think he’s scared of cats trying to overthrow him. And . . . and that includes Needletail.”

Concern flooded into Alderheart’s eyes, and for a heartbeat he seemed to gaze into the distance, as if he saw something terrible there. Violetpaw knew he’d been very close with Needletail. He must have been hurting at the thought of his friend being ill treated.

Soon, Alderheart’s expression grew thoughtful. “Violetpaw, can I trust you?” he asked.

Violetpaw nodded eagerly. “Yes,” she assured him. “I know now it was a mistake to stay with Darktail. I should have left along with Russetstar when the rogues took over ShadowClan. But I . . . I couldn’t leave Needletail. She needed me.” Encouraged by Alderheart’s understanding look, she added, “I wanted to believe it would all turn out okay. Have you ever felt like that?”

For the first time, Violetpaw noticed the affection in both Puddleshine and Alderheart’s eyes. Violetpaw’s heart warmed in her chest.  _ My kin, _ she thought. Truly  _ my kin. Not like Darktail. _

“Yes, I have,” Alderheart replied. “Now listen close, Violetpaw. We’ve been looking for some cat in the rogue camp to help us, because we have an idea. We’ve come up with a plan . . .”

As Alderheart explained the plan to her, Violetpaw’s pads began to prickle with excitement. She listened, intrigued, and her fur felt warmer as hope kindled within her.

“But for our plan to work,” Alderheart finished at last, “we need a cat who can influence Darktail.”

“I can!” Violetpaw told him, even more excitement beginning to flow through her, like an icebound stream when the sun shines on it. “Darktail trusts me. I can do whatever you want.”

Alderheart’s gaze was warm as it rested on her. “Thank you, Violetpaw.”

“No, thank  _ you _ —thank ThunderClan, and RiverClan.” Violetpaw felt a huge sense of relief that she hadn’t felt in moons. “You’re showing me a way out.”

“I’d better take you to meet with the leaders,” Alderheart meowed, beckoning her with his tail.

Violetpaw nodded, but before she moved to follow Alderheart , she let her gaze travel around the camp, looking for her sister among the groups of cats. “Could I talk to Twigpaw first?” she asked. “I haven’t seen her since the battle and I . . . I feel so terrible about what I did. I want a chance to explain how much I regret it.”

As she looked up at the medicine cats, Violetpaw was chilled to see Alderheart’s expression changed. He looked as if he was in pain as he shared a glance with Puddleshine, before hanging his head.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out at last. “Twigpaw left camp a little over a quarter moon ago with Honeyspots, and she never came back. We think . . . I’m afraid we think that they both got killed by a monster.”

Violetpaw stared at him, rigid with disbelief. She felt as though she had a chunk of ice in her belly, and for a brief moment, black spots swirled in her vision.  _ No . . . No! Twigpaw can’t be dead! When we met in the battle, I was about to  _ attack _ her. Oh, StarClan, please don’t let that be the last time I’ll ever see her! _

“Is this some sort of joke?” she asked, surprised by the sharpness of her tone. “Why didn’t you tell me right away?”

Alderheart shook his head, grief stricken and confused. Puddleshine pressed against him, blinking at his sister. “We didn’t want to upset you,” the calico tom meowed. “We were all still shocked by the news, we were still grieving, and we didn’t want to put any pain on you.”

“But  _ why? _ ” Violetpaw meowed, her voice crackling. “Why did she leave camp?”

Alderheart didn’t meet her gaze. “It was my fault,” he confessed, his voice nothing more than a whisper. “It was all my fault. I thought . . . I thought I might have seen your kin, your blood kin, in a vision.”

Violetpaw’s ears perked. “Our blood kin?”

“I had a vision of SkyClan,” Alderheart began. “They’re a Clan who was driven away from the other Clans, long ago, back when we lived in the old forest. I saw a tom who looked like both of you.”

Her breath was coming short and fast, the ground under her paws was beginning to shake. She couldn’t take in everything that Alderheart was telling her. 

_ Does he mean this tom might be my kin? No, that can’t be. My kin is with Puddleshine, Pinenose, and Twigpaw. And now Alderheart is saying Twigpaw is dead. _ Violetpaw stood still, her gaze unfocused, while thoughts raced through her mind like clouds in a gale.  _ No, _ she decided at last.  _ If Twigpaw had been killed, I would have  _ felt  _ it, wouldn’t I? Like something was missing. _

“You said you  _ think _ she died?” she asked. “No cat saw her body?”

“That’s true,” Alderheart mewed, “but we’re pretty sure, all the same.” His gaze rested on her gently. “I’m so sorry, Violetpaw. Do you still want to help us?”

Violetpaw’s heart ached so much that she thought it was going to crack. But the pain only made her more resolved.

_ I have to believe that Twigpaw is still alive somewhere. I’ll do what Alderheart is asking. I’ll help the weaker cats out of Darktail’s claws. Then, when my sister comes back, she’ll have to forgive me for what happened in the battle. And if she doesn’t . . . or if she really  _ is _ dead . . . _

Violetpaw pushed that thought away, refusing to even consider that. “I’ll help you,” she meowed, meeting Alderheart’s gaze steadily. “You can take me to Bramblestar now.”

Alderheart took a pace toward the tumbled rocks that led up to the Highledge, then halted. “No, you’ve been away from your camp for too long,” he decided. “Puddleshine and I will talk to Bramblestar; you get back before you’re missed. Just remember the plan . . .”

Violetpaw listened to his rapid instructions, then dipped her head in farewell and left the camp, racing through the forest and along the shoreline until she crossed the border into ShadowClan territory. As she passed through the stream, she rolled herself into the water to clean herself of ThunderClan scent.

_ I wish I could stay, _ she thought,  _ but once our plan works . . . once the rogues are defeated and Twigpaw comes home . . . maybe she and I and Needletail can all live peacefully. _

\-------

Needletail stood in a vast, dark moor, no horizon or trees in sight, only her and the grass. The sky was black, as if the whole world was cast into shadows. This place seemed familiar. Then she remembered it, and she caught sight of the yellow barn she and Alderpaw—Alderheart? Alderpaw? She couldn’t remember—stayed in when they were on the quest to SkyClan. She was about to race toward it, memories flooding over her, when she heard voices behind her.

“Needlepaw!” Needletail pelt bristled. That wasn’t right. She turned around, and spotted two familiar ginger pelts. Sparkpaw rushed up to her and pressed against her side, smiling at her. “Slow down, mousebrain, we’re treelengths behind.”

Alderpaw stood on the other side of her, blinking at her slowly. And as he pressed his pelt against Needlepaw’s own, the darkness of the moor melted away, replaced by the bright, milky light of dawn. Needlepaw blinked, surprised by the sudden warmth.

The medicine cat looked just as confused as she was. Was this a dream? Was Alderpaw dreaming this as well? It felt . . . different. More real. Sparkpaw let out a  _ mrrow _ and rushed away, toward the barn, leaving Alderpaw and Needlepaw alone. Alderpaw looked at her with wide eyes.

“Needletail,” he murmured, pressing closer. No. That wasn’t right either. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t join you and Violetpaw. Some days I wish . . .” He trailed off, glancing toward the barn. “Some days I wish we never brought the kits to the Clans. They don’t deserve this kind of hurt. But I know now that, deep down, Twigpaw and I are Clan cats. And we couldn’t live away from the Clans, even if that means we’re apart from you and Violetpaw.”

Needlepaw dug her claws into the dirt. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to hiss and yowl and scratch at Alderpaw. But she couldn’t bring herself to. Instead, she slumped over, her eyes glassing over. “I understand,” she murmured. “I understand you belong with the Clans.” A soft laugh escaped her. “You wouldn’t last two heartbeats with the Kin, I promise you that.”

Alderpaw purred, brushing against his friend.

“You don’t belong with the Kin, Alderpaw,” she murmured, brushing her tail down his side. “And neither do I.”

Needletail jolted awake when she heard voices outside the den. She almost thought it was Darktail, ready to bring her to kill Rain. Was it that time already? She was weak and starving, in no condition to fight. Then she recognized Violetpaw’s voice, and her heart ached.

Violetpaw padded through the darkness of the den, careful of the sleeping RiverClan warriors. For a moment, Needletail wondered if she was still dreaming, until the pang of hunger told her otherwise. “Violetpaw?” she called, her voice hoarse with thirst.

“I had to talk to you.” Violetpaw crouched beside her friend, and Needletail brushed against her. She smelled different . . . sweeter. Familiar. “I’ve been to ThunderClan, and I spoke to Alderheart.” Alderheart. That’s right. “We have a plan to get you and the prisoners out. I promise, all of you are going to be fine.”

Needletail listened to the apprentice, and she knew that this should have been scary for her friend. But a numb feeling was creeping over her. She closed her eyes. She was so tired. She almost slipped back into sleep. “Violetpaw. I’m so sorry. This isn’t your fault. I was so stupid.” Guilt wracked through her, and tears threatened to spill over her cheeks. “You didn’t abandon me. Neither did Alderheart, nor Rain. I was just stupid and bitter and angry. They didn’t belong here.”

“That doesn’t matter now,” Violetpaw responded, briefly burying her nose into Needletail’s shoulder fur. Needletail nuzzled her friend. “Don’t worry about anything. I’m going to get you out of here.”

“No,” Needletail meowed. “I’m going to do as Darktail says. I’m going to confront Rain; I think I need to.”

Violetpaw’s eyes rounded. She opened her jaws to speak, but then closed them. Needletail’s chest felt tight. It was almost as if a darkness was settling over them. Needletail lifted her head. "Violetpaw?" The apprentice looked at her. "I love you."

Shocked, Violetpaw blinked. Then her eyes softened. "I love you too."

Violetpaw lay with Needletail, and her tiredness finally dragged her into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Four

A day had passed since Alderheart spoke with Violetpaw. Since then, he was anxiously awaiting the night Violetpaw would bring two elders, who had the worst wounds he'd seen, to the ThunderClan border. Alderheart and Leafpool were making sure they had enough herbs to heal them, while Puddleshine and Mothwing continued to treat the injured RiverClan cats. Mistystar had a wound that reopened when she walked, so the medicine cats confined to their den, only ever limping out at sunhigh to check on her Clanmates. With most of the RiverClan cats out of camp, everything was much less crowded. It made Alderheart feel at ease.

Now, the young medicine cat padded through the forest, a dove in his jaws. That’s odd. He didn’t remember catching that. He glanced around. The forest was bright, the sun warming Alderheart’s back. He took a deep breath through his nose, greenleaf smells wafting over his scent glands. This was his favorite time. When the leaves were green and the flowers bloomed to their fullest. But he knew, in the not so distant future, leaffall would come and everything would turn brown and orange.

His ears twitched when the bush behind him rustled. He tensed, ready for prey to burst out, when he saw a familiar calico pelt. His heart lifted. “Afternoon, Alder,” Puddleshine greeted his friend, a bundle of lavender in his jaws. The scents of the flower and Puddleshine mixed inside Alderheart, making his stress melt away.

“Good afternoon,” Alderheart replied, blinking at him. “Are we low on lavender?”

“It seems we are,” Puddleshine sighed. “Mothwing sent me out to collect more.”

Alderheart nodded. Then Puddleshine got closer and rubbed his muzzle against Alderheart’s own. Alderheart’s heart burst in his chest, a gooey heat replacing it, sticking to his chest, swirling in his stomach.  _ Oh. _ Alderheart pressed his nose into Puddleshine’s fur, breathing in the scent of pine cones. A new scent clung to his pelt: sage. It all mingled together so nicely, all so perfect. Puddleshine was so lovely.

Alderheart gasped when the dove in his jaws wriggled, then unfurled its wings and struggled out of his jaws, flying out into open air. As he watched it go, a new voice called from behind them. But Alderheart didn’t want to leave Puddleshine behind . . .

Alderheart’s eyes opened and he lifted his head. He was in the medicine den. That’s right. He decided to take a nap after he spent most of the night helping Mothwing treat her Clanmates. Alderheart lifted his head to see Mothwing and Leafpool sitting side by side near their store, their tails whisking before settling on top of each other. “We need more cobwebs,” Leafpool sighed. “We’re nearly out thanks to all the injured cats.”

Mothwing’s eyes rounded. “I gave quite a bit to Brindlepaw and Kestrelflight,” she meowed, her tail twitching. “I guess I should’ve kept a bit more to ourselves. We have more patients, after all . . .”

“Don’t worry about it.” Leafpool’s voice was soft as she pressed her nose against Mothwing’s cheek. “We know Hootwhisker needs all the help he can get.”

Alderheart got to his paws and he stretched, his muscles giving him a satisfying burn. “I can get some,” he offered, yawning. This morning was the first restful sleep he’d gotten in quite some time. Since the ShadowClan cats came into camp, fitful sleeps and nightmares about Sandstorm and Darktail and, most recently, Purdy, filled his head. Even Violetpaw wormed her way into his nightmares, and it shook him to the core.

“I can come as well,” Puddleshine meowed from where he stood beside Mistystar. The old leader looked outside, her eyes dull, as if she longed to be out in the sun. “I’ve done nothing today but sit around camp with Pinenose and Ferretclaw.” He blinked at Alderheart and the ginger tom flushed, nodding to him.

As they left the den, Alderheart’s heart fluttered in his chest. Puddleshine’s fur brushed against his own, and heat sparked under the ginger tabby’s pelt. “Do you want anything to eat?” Puddleshine asked, heading over to the fresh-kill pile. Alderheart’s stomach growled in reply, and Puddleshine laughed. His laugh made Alderheart feel as if he was drowning in the sticky heat in his chest. “C’mon. Leafshade caught a few sparrows, we can share one.”

Alderheart nodded, following his fellow medicine cat to the fresh-kill pile and settling down beside him near the tumbled rocks that led to the leader’s den. The camp wasn’t alive, with most cats out on patrols at sunhigh, but a few warriors were bustling around. With Twigpaw . . . gone, there were no apprentices. Some of the younger warriors had to care for the elders and change their bedding. Larktail and Leafshade weren’t very happy about it, but they couldn’t argue with Bramblestar and Squirrelflight’s orders.

Lilyheart and Snowbush were still grieving the loss of their daughters, and Snowbush had to be coaxed into eating. Lilyheart barely left camp anymore, her blue eyes dull. Alderheart felt their pain as well. Twigpaw was such an important part of his life. What would he do now, without her?

He took a bite of the sparrow and chewed thoughtfully. His ears perked when he saw a ginger pelt. Half of him thought it was Sparkstorm, but then he remembered . . . Sparkstorm had disappeared the morning after Twigpaw’s vigil, after she had that dream. Alderheart wondered if there was anything he could have to stop her, but he was sure there was nothing. His sister was one stubborn cat, there was no persuading her into not doing something she wanted to.

Rosepetal had been shocked and horrified to hear her apprentice had disappeared. Alderheart told her he was sure that she was going to find the cats from her dream. After hearing this, Squirrelflight and Rosepetal demanded to send out a search party. “I’ll go myself!” Rosepetal had meowed, puffing out her chest. “I can even go alone, if no cat wants to join me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Squirrelflight had snorted. “I’ll send Ambersky and Toadstep with you. You three will do fine.” They left the same day; Alderheart could tell how anxious Rosepetal was about her former apprentice. Squirrelflight and Bramblestar were worried too, but they didn’t show it.

The ginger pelt belonged to Squirrelflight. She was sending out patrols when she caught Alderheart’s eye. She flicked her tail to Ferretclaw, Hazeltail, and Blossomfall, before departing from them and approaching her son. She blinked at him. “Good afternoon,” she purred, her eyes sparkling. “You slept all morning.”

Alderheart licked his chest fur in embarrassment. “I was up late,” he explained. “Sorry, did you need me for something this morning?”

“No, no, I’m glad you’re getting the rest you deserve.” Squirrelflight looked at the elders’ den, where the injured cats were being held. “The RiverClan cats are looking better each passing day. I saw Poollight walking around today. It seems she’s nearly healed.”

Alderheart nodded slowly, swallowing a mouthful of prey. “It won’t be long before all the RiverClan cats are healed,” Puddleshine meowed, eyes sparkling with optimism as he dipped his head to the ThunderClan deputy in respect. It made Alderheart’s stomach flip.

“Good,” Squirrelflight sighed. “We’ve had enough trouble around here, we don't need any RiverClan warriors upset about their injuries.” She nodded to the medicine cats. “You’re doing wonderfully.” She pressed her nose to her son’s head and Alderheart purred. “I’m going on a hunting patrol, I’ll be farther up the stream on WindClan’s border. Feel free to get me if you need anything.” She bounded away, back to where Ferretclaw, Hazeltail, and Blossomfall stood, then slipped out of camp with her Clanmates.

Alderheart and Puddleshine finished their sparrow and groomed themselves before leaving the camp. “Let’s head to the WindClan border,” Puddleshine meowed. “It’ll be safer over there anyway.”

Alderheart nodded and padded beside his friend toward the stream. “I hope we meet Sedgewhisker there,” he meowed, tail twitching. “I haven’t heard from her in awhile, I want to know how things are going in WindClan.”

“Me too. I don’t think any cat expected Mudstar to let the RiverClan warriors stay with them.” he hopped down a small tumble of rocks, stopping to make sure Alderheart got down okay as well, before pressing on. “I wonder if Sedgewhisker had something to do with it.”

Alderheart was sure she was. Ever since the incident with the sap for the blackcough outbreak, Sedgewhisker had been known for defying her leader on many occasions. He wouldn’t be surprised if she persuaded her leader to get them to stay.

“Plus,” Puddleshine went on, giving Alderheart a worried look, “I’ve been thinking. Maybe it’s not the best idea for us to bring the ShadowClan cats through the Kin’s territory.”

Alderheart’s ears perked. “Do you think we shouldn’t be helping them?”

“No, of course we should be helping them. But we’re putting them and ourselves at risk by bringing them through ShadowClan land. Maybe we could ask Sedgewhisker to guide Violetpaw through WindClan land.”

Alderheart’s whiskers twitched thoughtfully. “I suppose you’re right,” he murmured. The thought had crossed Alderheart’s mind a few times, but he was still worried. Mudstar wasn’t happy with Russetstar, and banned any ShadowClan warriors from being on his territory. “We’ll speak to Sedgewhisker if we can.”

As they passed through the woods, they grabbed the cobwebs they needed, bundling them up so they were easier to carry. When they reached the stream, Alderheart strained to see the brown tabby pelt of Sedgewhisker. His ears perked when he saw what looked to be her. Then he recognized Brindlepaw, who had stalks of fennel in her jaws. With her was Oatclaw and Ferntail.

“Brindlepaw!” he called, waving his tail to the medicine cat apprentice. Her ears perked. She dropped the fennel at Oatclaw’s paws, excusing herself before rushing over. Ferntail and Oatclaw gave the other two medicine cats a suspicious glance before settling down and waiting for their medicine cat.

Brindlepaw rushed over to the other medicine cats, her wiry legs making her strides longer.  _ She’s grown, _ Alderheart noted. Her pelt looked sleek now, as if she finally grew into it, her legs much longer and her ears and eyes seemed to have shrunk. She splashed across the stream and joined Alderheart and Puddleshine, blinking at them. She was taller than the two of them now, a proper WindClan cat. “What’s up?” she asked, panting and shaking off her paws.

“How’re the RiverClan cats doing?” Alderheart asked, standing back as she shook herself, droplets of water spraying off her pelt.

“They’re doing fine,” she meowed, shuffling her paws. “Every cat is a little on edge back at camp, but they’re hunting for us, showing Mudstar how grateful they were for this. And Mudstar hasn’t caused any trouble. He’s been spending most of his days in his den, actually.”

Puddleshine stepped forward. “We have something to ask of you.”

Brindlepaw’s ears perked and she glanced over her shoulder to make sure the other WindClan warriors couldn’t hear them. “What is it?” she whispered.

“Violetpaw is going to be bringing some ShadowClan elders through ShadowClan territory tomorrow night,” Puddleshine explained. “Alderheart and a few warriors are going to meet her at the RiverClan and ShadowClan border and bring them the rest of the way.”

Brindlepaw’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is that a good idea? What if Darktail finds out?”

“It’s the best we’ve got,” Alderheart meowed. “Violetpaw says that Darktail won’t let their medicine cat, Slit, treat their wounds. They’re not as important as the warriors, in his eyes.”

Brindlepaw wrinkled her nose. “That’s disgusting,” she hissed, her tail lashing.

“We were wondering,” Puddleshine went on, “if you could help Violetpaw bring more warriors through your territory instead. It’s much safer than bringing them through more of Darktail’s land.”

Brindlepaw glanced over her shoulder at her Clanmates once more. They seemed to be getting antsy, shifting on their paws and staring at their medicine cat. “Yes,” she meowed, nodding. “Anything to help cats who need it. I’ve seen what happens when you don’t help Clans in need. I’ll do anything to help.”

Alderheart let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he meowed, touching noses with the apprentice. “We’ll tell Violetpaw tomorrow night. Meet me here the day after tomorrow, at sunhigh. We’ll work out the details.”

“Alright,” Brindlepaw nodded to the other medicine cats. “Stay safe tomorrow.”

“Brindlepaw!” Oatclaw called, getting to his paws. “If you don’t hurry, we’ll leave you here.”

Brindlepaw snorted, but her eyes sparkled in amusement. “Okay, okay!” she called back. She nodded to Alderheart and Puddleshine before splashing back to her own territory and rushing back over to her Clanmates. She grabbed her fennel once more and waved her tail to Alderheart and Puddleshine before heading back toward their camp.

“I’m so glad she’s here to help,” Puddleshine sighed, relaxing his shoulders. “I’d feel much better with Violetpaw going through WindClan territory.” He blinked sadly at the thought of his sister and Alderheart pressed against him.

“She’ll be okay,” he promised. “Everything will be alright.”

“Right.” Puddleshine blinked at Alderheart. He pressed his nose to Alderheart’s own, rubbing their muzzles together. “Come on,” he meowed, heading downstream. “I know there’s a batch of borage further up the stream.”

Worry flashed through Alderheart. “Does someone have a fever?” he asked, catching up with his friend, his heart still reeling.

“No, but it’s always better to have some around.” Puddleshine flicked his tail. “That’s what Mothwing taught me: better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”

Alderheart purred, nodding in agreement. They padded along the pebbly shore of the river, getting closer and closer to the lake. Alderheart opened his jaws, the obvious scent of borage washing over his tongue. “Over here,” Puddleshine meowed, padding over to a batch of borage that grew under a tree, close to the riverbank.”

Alderheart and Puddleshine nipped at the borage, placing the herb beside them in a small pile. Once Alderheart finished, he glanced at Puddleshine. The tom had a bunch of the blue flowers in his jaws. The blue matched Puddleshine’s eyes perfectly. Alderheart warmed, his heart thrumming in his chest. Alderheart stepped closer. “Those flowers look really good against your pelt,” he meowed, embarrassment washing over him when Puddleshine blinked in surprise.

Then the calico tom lowered his head, a soft smile on his face. “Thank you,” he purred.

“Would you mind?” Alderheart picked one of the flowers and flicked his nose to Puddleshine’s ear. Puddleshine shook his head and leaned down so Alderheart could tuck it behind his one ginger ear. Puddleshine laughed a bit, eyes sparkling.

“Do I look good?” Puddleshine asked, his purr loud, making something behind Alderheart’s ribs grow and solidify, warm and safe and soft.

They were so close.

Puddleshine smelled so sweet, and he was so handsome, so lovely.

They both jumped away from each other when another cat burst out from the bushes behind them. Sorrelstripe lifted her head, blinking at the medicine cats. “Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you,” she meowed, eyes wide. “Alderheart, we were looking for you. We were going to visit Sandstorm.”

Behind her, Cinderheart, Lionblaze, their kits, and Jayflight stepped out of the bushes. Cinderheart had two flowers in her jaws, both roses. Jayflight nodded to Alderheart. “Are you coming with?”

Alderheart looked at his paws. It had been some time since he went to see Sandstorm. Not since the nightmares that had been plaguing him started. He took a deep breath. ”Sure,” he meowed, anxiety bundling in his chest. He glanced at Puddleshine .”Do you want to come too?”

“No, I wouldn’t feel right being there,” Puddleshine meowed, giving Alderheart a sad smile. He pressed his nose to Alderheart’s, before picking up the cobwebs and borage. “I’ll see you at camp.” With that, he disappeared into the undergrowth. Alderheart’s tail swished behind him.

As they approached the lake, Alderheart’s anxiety made his chest tighter and tighter. Was Sandstorm upset with him for not visiting her grave for so long? Of course, she wasn’t really buried near the lake; her burial place was far away from here, where she died during the quest. It had been Squirrelflight and Leafpool who picked out a place to leave flowers for the elder. It was her favorite spot to sun herself outside of the camp, and watch the sun set behind the lake.

When they reached the spot, right near the Ancient Oak, under a birch tree, Cinderheart sat beside it, laying her roses down and leaning against Lionblaze. Jayflight closed his eyes and bowed his head, whispering under his breath. Alderheart lifted his gaze to the sky.  _ I wonder if she’s watching us now, _ he thought.

“Sandstorm was a brave cat,” Hollytuft meowed. “The best great grandmother I could have asked for.” Sorrelstripe and Fernsong murmured in agreement. “If she was here, she’d tell us that everything would be alright. I just know it.”

“Yes,” Jayflight meowed. “Sandstorm would believe in ThunderClan— _ all _ the Clans. She’d know that we can take care of Darktail.”

Alderheart sighed. As he stared at the sky, he wished Sandstorm could tell them now that things would turn out okay.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Five

Alderheart crouched in the bushes beside the small Thunderpath that separated ShadowClan territory from RiverClan. Lilyheart and Ivypool were by his side, while Lionblaze, a taillength or so away, was keeping watch in case any rogues were patrolling on the ShadowClan side. Alderheart wished Sparkstorm was with them. He prayed that Rosepetal would bring his sister home soon. Puddleshine had offered to come, but Bramblestar said it would be best for the patrol to be small. Alderheart still wished Puddleshine had been allowed to come.

A night had passed since Alderheart and Puddleshine spoke with Brindlepaw at the WindClan border. Clouds were covering the moon, casting a welcome darkness over the trespassing patrol. The only sound was the faint creaking of branches as a breeze wafted through the trees.

“Do you think Violetpaw is close enough to Darktail?” Lilyheart whispered, her pelt prickling with worry. Alderheart remembered when Lilyheart fostered Violetpaw. It wasn’t for very long, but she loved Violetpaw as a daughter and was willing to fight if Violetpaw got hurt tonight. “Would he really tell her when the patrols go out?”

“Yes, does she really have that much influence?” Ivypool added. “She’s an apprentice, for StarClan’s sake!”

“I believe in her,” Alderheart responded, keeping his voice low. “She told me that a patrol goes by at sunset, then another at moonhigh. Besides, she doesn’t need Darktail to  _ tell _ her that—if she keeps her wits about her, she can see it for herself.”

Ivypool nodded slowly, her blue eyes gleaming in the dim light. “After all,” she murmured, “this isn’t a real boundary anymore, now that Darktail holds both territories. There’s not a lot of need for regular patrols.”

“True,” Alderheart responded. “Besides, I trust Violetpaw. She may be an apprentice, but there’s something very capable and serious about her.”

“Yes.” Ivypool sighed out the word. “She reminds me so much of Twigpaw.”

All the cats were silent for a moment; Alderheart knew that his Clanmates were remembering the young cat, sharing in his grief for her. His heart ached more for Lilyheart, who had to deal with the pain of losing two kits.

Then behind him, Alderheart heard Lionblaze spring to his paws. “Look! Across the Thunderpath!” he hissed.

Alderheart saw three dark shapes emerge from the bushes on the RiverClan side. His muscles tensed as he tasted the air, not sure at first which cats were heading toward him over the hard surface of the Thunderpath. Violetpaw’s scent flowed between his jaws, and Alderheart relaxed as he recognized her and saw that she was leading two elders, Ratscar, and a cat he didn’t recognize.

Both the old cats let out huge sighs of relief as they reached the bushes and flopped down beside Alderheart and the other ThunderClan cats.

“Good job, Violetpaw,” the unknown elder meowed. “The plan worked!”

“Great StarClan!” Ratscar huffed. “I thought that mange-ridden Darktail would catch us for sure.”

“Shh!” Ivypool warned them. “We still have to get you safely through ShadowClan territory.” She glared at the unknown elder. “Who is this?”

Violetpaw shuffled her paws. “This is Shade.”

Lilyheart’s eyes narrowed. “A  _ Kin _ elder?”

The cat’s—Shade—eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth. “I am no Kin cat,” she sniffed. “I was nearly killed in the battle against RiverClan.” Then her eyes rounded and she sighed. “I never thought I’d cause this much pain.”

Alderheart blinked at her. “We don’t doubt you,” he meowed, flicking his tail to Lilyheart. He locked eyes with the former queen, then she nodded slowly and backed off. “Rest for a few moments, and let’s have a look at you,” he went on.

Though there was little light, he could just make out the skinny shapes of the elders and see claw marks scored across their sides. The sweetish scent that rose from them told him that some of the wounds were infected, and he remembered Strikestone telling him that Darktail made Slit save all his herbs for the Kin.

“I’ve chewed up some marigold,” he told them as he began to dab the pulp on Shade’s wounds and then Ratscar’s. “That should help, and I’ll see to you properly tomorrow in camp.”

Shade sighed and gave a wriggle of pleasure as the healing juices sank into his wounds. “That feels great,” she rasped.

“I caught some mice for you,” Ivypool added, dropping one in front of each of the elders. “Eat up quickly, and then we can go.”

The elders didn’t need telling, gulping down the prey in huge mouthfuls.

_ It’s like they haven’t eaten for a moon, _ Alderheart thought, disgusted at the state of the elders. He didn’t know Shade very well, but Ratscar seemed to enjoy her company, and they couldn’t deny an elder sanctuary.

“Is this how Darktail treats elders?” he asked Violetpaw, who was standing close by, her eyes shining with triumph at the success of her first mission.

Violetpaw shrugged. “Darktail always lets the strongest cats eat first. And they’re not allowed to share any prey unless he gives permission.”

Alderheart remembered that Darktail had done the same in the gorge when he and his rogues had claimed to be part of SkyClan. He then thought of Ember, the kind Kin she-cat who Lionblaze had helped when they spent their time in the gorge.  _ I hope she’s okay, _ he thought with an ache.  _ Darktail must have been lying through his teeth when he said he and his rogues friends wanted to be part of a Clan. He just wanted to collect Clan cats to follow him and live by his twisted rules. _

“Are you up for the trek through ShadowClan territory?” he asked the elders. “It’s a long way, and it might be dangerous.”

“We sure are,” Ratscar assured her.

“Yes,” Shade added. “Anything to get away from those awful cats.”

Alderheart gave each of the old cats a bunch of travelling herbs that he had brought with him from his store in ThunderClan to give them strength for the rest of their journey. Then, while they licked them up, he turned to say goodbye to Violetpaw.

“I should have told you earlier,” he meowed, his tail whisking. “I’ve spoken to Brindlepaw, and she promised to help you bring the refugees through WindClan territory.”

Violetpaw blinked in surprise. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked. “Mudstar wasn’t very happy with ShadowClan last time I saw him.”

Alderheart cringed inwardly. She was right. “Brindlepaw said he won’t find out,” he promised. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” He blinked at her. “Thank you, by the way. You’ve done brilliantly. You’re a brave cat, Violetpaw.”

The black-and-white she-cat ducked her head, embarrassed. “I just want to help,” she murmured.

“You’ve certainly helped us,” Shade told her. “More than we can ever thank you for.”

Ratscar echoed his friend’s thanks. “We’ll be seeing you again, I hope,” he mewed. 

“I hope so,” Violetpaw responded. “Alderheart, I’ll try again three nights from now.”

“Okay,” Alderheart agreed. “But be careful.”

“I will. Goodbye for now, and a safe journey.”

For a moment, Alderheart wanted to ask Violetpaw about Needletail, but he stopped himself, knowing that, with every heartbeat that the apprentice was delayed getting back to Darktail’s camp, she put herself in more danger.

“Goodbye,” he called after her softly as she raced back over the Thunderpath and vanished into the bushes on the RiverClan side. “May StarClan light your path.”

Lionblaze took the lead as the patrol set off toward ThunderClan territory. Alderheart and Lilyheart flanked the elders, one on either side, while Ivypool brought up the rear. Alderheart glanced up at the stars shining above the canopy of trees.  _ Sparkstorm could be looking at the same stars as me at this very moment,  _ he thought, his heart aching at the thought of his missing sister.

The elders were shaky on their paws, and progress was slow, though at first the forest was silent, with no sight or scent of any rogues. Lionblaze led them along the edge of the trees, where the going was easier as the undergrowth thinned out toward the lake.

Alderheart was just beginning to hope that they would get home without any trouble when Lionblaze halted. “Foxdung!” he hissed.

“What?” Alderheart craned to see past Lionblaze’s muscular form.

A little way ahead, he spotted two cats crouched on the narrow strip of pebbles that separated the forest from the lake. Both of them seemed to be focused on a hole in the bank.

“It’s Yarrowleaf and that mangy rogue Flame,” Ratscar growled. “It looks as if they’re hunting.”

Ivypool nodded. “There could be voles in there,” she murmured.

“And if they’re waiting for them to come out, they could be there all night,” Lionblaze meowed with an irritated twitch of his tail. “We’ll have to take a route farther away from the lake.”

Alderheart suppressed a sigh as they set out again, heading deeper into ShadowClan territory.  _ This is more tiring for the elders . . . and there’s more chance of running into rogues. _

His belly began to churn with fear as they made their way through the trees. In this part of the forest, pines had shed their needles over the ground, and while the smooth covering made walking easy for the elders, there was little cover if they needed to hide from a patrol.

_ Shade and Ratscar would never manage to climb a tree, _ Alderheart thought, wishing that they could move faster, but knowing that the elders were doing the best they could.

At last the pine trees began to give way to oak and beech, and Alderheart realized that they were approaching the border near the clearing where the Twolegs built their pelt-dens in greenleaf.

_ Perhaps we’re going to make it after all, _ he thought.

They were heading down a slope toward a thick bank of ferns when Ivypool raised her tail in warning, then leaped onto a tree stump to get a better view of what lay ahead.

“Rogues patrolling!” she reported in a whisper. “Roach and another cat I can’t recognize. I think I could pick up their stink.”

“Head for the ferns,” Lionblaze ordered calmly, as Alderheart spotted the two rogues’ shapes slinking through the shadows a few fox-lengths away. “And for StarClan’s sake, be quiet!”

Lilyheart and Ivypool bundled the two elders down the slope and into the shelter of the ferns. Alderheart and Lionblaze followed, keeping low with their belly fur brushing the ground, hoping that their movement wouldn’t disturb the fern fronds that give them away.

“We must be close,” Lionblaze whispered. “I can smell the ThunderClan scent markers.”

Just as he spoke, Ratscar let out a hollow cough. From behind them, Alderheart heard Roach’s voice. “Loki, did you hear that?”

“Foxdung!” Ivypool snarled.

For a few heartbeats, Alderheart was frozen, unsure what to do. He could feel the rogue cats’ pawsteps vibrating through the ground and knew that, within a few heartbeats, they would be discovered.

“Sorry—it’s my fault,” Ratscar rasped, his eyes round. “Leave me and go on.”

“No cat is leaving you,” Lionblaze said firmly. “Alderheart, you lead the elders over the border. I’ll give the rogues something else to think about.”

“No!” Alderheart protested, panic surging through him. “What if they work out what we’re doing and use that as an excuse to attack ThunderClan? Didn’t you hear about why Darktail attacked RiverClan? It’s all going wrong!” His chest tightened.

“They won’t—” Lilyheart began.

“Then what if they call up more of Darktail’s cats? You’ll be way outnumbered!”

“Alderheart, have you got bees in your brain?” Ivypool’s eyes glittered with menace. “Lionblaze has us to help him. Now _ go _ !” She followed up her words with a violent shove to Alderheart’s rump.

Realizing how stupid he was being, Alderheart urged the elders into motion, crawling swiftly through the ferns. ThunderClan scent flowed over them as they crossed the border. At the same moment, Alderheart heard yowling and screeching break out behind him. His paws tugged him back toward the fight, but he knew that his duty was to see the elders safely to ThunderClan camp.

“Welcome to ThunderClan,” he meowed. “Let’s go.

Cats poured out of their dens as Alderheart and the elders pushed their way through the thorn tunnel and into the stone hollow, alerted by the joyful caterwauling of Sorrelstripe, who was on watch. Russetstar and the ShadowClan cats surged across the clearing, surrounding Ratscar, who was almost knocked off his paws by his Clanmates’ enthusiastic greeting.

Then Rowanclaw noticed Shade. The brown tabby she-cat was staring at them with wide eyes. “Who’s this?” he snapped, his nose wrinkling.

Ratscar stood in front of his deputy. “This is Shade,” he meowed. “I spent time with her in the Kin—”

“A Kin rogue?” Russetstar hissed, backing away from Shade and Ratscar. “And you brought her  _ here _ ?”

“Take it easy,” Alderheart meowed, pushing his way in front of the ShadowClan cats and Russetstar. “Shade isn’t going to hurt anyone.”

“She might be here to spy on us,” Pinenose snarled, unsheathing her claws.

“I’m here to find a new life,” Shade protested, her amber eyes narrowing. “I want to prove myself to you Clan cats. Post a guard for me, for all I care, I wish to hurt no one.”

Russetstar lifted her head, looking thoughtful. “We can figure all that out later,” Alderheart meowed. “These cats are injured and weak. They should spend tonight in the medicine den.”

The ShadowClan cats shared reluctant glances before backing away, allowing Alderheart to lead Ratscar and Shade to the medicine den and pass them over to Leafpool, Puddleshine, and the RiverClan medicine cats. Puddleshine gave him a worried look. He pressed his nose into Alderheart’s fur. “Get some rest,” he mewed. “You’ve done enough.”

Alderheart sighed. “I need to report to my father first,” he mumbled, leaning into Puddleshine. “I'll be back in no time, don’t worry about me.”

Puddleshine’s eyes rounded, but he nodded. “Don’t take too long.”

Bramblestar was waiting for him as he emerged past the bramble screen and back into the camp. “Good job,” the ThunderClan leader mewed, blinking at his son. “But where’s the rest of the patrol?”

“We met some rogues,” Alderheart explained, his pelt beginning to prickle all over with guilt. “Lionblaze and the others stayed to fight them off, while I got the elders across the border.”

Bramblestar’s ears pricked forward, obviously anxious for his son. “Many rogues? Do I need to send a patrol?”

“We only saw two, but—”

Alderheart broke off as more cats appeared from the thorn tunnel. A flood of relief struck him as he recognized Lionblaze in the lead, followed closely by Lilyheart and Ivypool.

“Are you okay?” he asked, running toward them.

“We’re all fine,” Lionblaze replied, giving his cousin a reassuring blink.

“You didn’t think those flea-pelts could hurt us, did you?” Ivypool demanded, her eyes shining. “That strange cat—what did Roach call him? Loki?—seemed as if he’d never had a fighting lesson in his whole life.”

Lilyheart nodded, her fur fluffed up. “We chased them off in no time. I’ve never seen cats move so fast.”

To Alderheart’s relief, he realized that his Clanmates only had a few minor scratches to show for the skirmish with the rogues.

“Do you think they realized we were rescuing the elders?” he asked.

Lionblaze shook his head. “I told them we were on patrol and stepped over the border by accident,” he explained. “They seemed to accept that.”

“Not that we had much time for talking,” Ivypool added, licking at the bottom of her paw.

For a few moments, Alderheart basked in thankfulness for the news.  _ I can’t remember how long it’s been since the Clans had something to be happy about, _ he thought.  _ And now we do. We’ve rescued our first cats from the rogue camp! _

He sighed. _ I don’t think we would have been able to take these cats in if it weren’t for the WindClan cats taking in half of RiverClan. _ He remembered Foxnose, Dewnose, Shadethroat, and Mothwing returning from WindClan. All of them seemed bewildered as they explained Mudstar would take healthy cats in so ThunderClan would be less crowded.  _ I wonder what’s happening up there on the moor . . . _

\--------

Brindlepaw sniffed at Hootwhisker’s wound. After she and Kestrelflight had gotten the marigold, he seemed to be doing better, but he was still lethargic and complaining about being too hot. It seemed that the infection went down, but his fever was still there. She sighed. The gray tom was sleeping now, and so was Kestrelflight. Brindlepaw was one of the few cats still awake.  _ I’ll give him some feverfew when he wakes up, _ she decided.

She brushed her tail down his spine before stepping out of her den. The sun was going to rise soon. She had gotten no sleep. Today, they were supposed to meet Violetpaw at the border to help her bring ShadowClan cats to Alderheart. She noticed Sedgewhisker padding over to her. The brown tabby warrior blinked at her, flicking her tail to silently tell her to follow.

Brindlepaw glimpsed the fluffy pelts of RiverClan warriors bundled up to the side of where the WindClan cats slept. Mudstar hadn’t been happy when the few RiverClan warriors and Mothwing showed up in WindClan camp. Now, the small number of RiverClan warriors hunted for the WindClan cats, as if eager to show their gratitude. Even after Mudstar and Mistystar had their spat at the Gathering not long before, the kindness in the RiverClan cats’ hearts didn’t leave them. Mothwing even kept her promise to bring herbs from her store to help Hootwhisker. Brindlepaw prayed it was enough.

Brindlepaw and Sedgewhisker padded through the entrance of the camp, quiet as to not wake Mudstar. He wouldn’t be happy if he found out what they were doing. They made their way across WindClan territory to the border of RiverClan. Brindlepaw shivered as a cool breeze brushed past them. The sun was just starting to rise, turning the lake reddish pink and orange. The light hit the clouds, turning them the warm colors as well.

When they reached the border, they sat down and waited for Violetpaw to join them. Brindlepaw shifted on her paws, her pelt prickling. This was the first time they’d be helping Violetpaw. “Do you think any of the rogues will find us?” she murmured to Sedgewhisker.

The brown warrior’s eyes narrowed. “I hope not.” Her pelt rose along her spine. “We don’t want any fights. I’m sure Violetpaw won’t let any of the rogues find us. We’ll be fine.” She brushed her tail along Brindlepaw’s back, comforting her.

Brindlepaw’s heart leapt when she saw movement on the other side of the border. A black-and-white pelt broke through the bushes, followed by three cats. The medicine cat wrinkled her nose when rogue stench wafted over her scent glands. She tried her best not to gag as Violetpaw and the other warriors splashed across the stream.

Sedgewhisker got to her paws as they approached them. “Good morning,” Sedgewhisker meowed, dipping her head to the apprentice. “Were you followed?” She tasted the air. Brindlepaw held back a laugh when Sedgewhisker’s face screwed up at the rank smell on Violetpaw’s pelt.

“We don’t think so,” Wasptail meowed, looking back. Her eyes rounded. “Grassheart is still back there.”

Violetpaw pressed herself against Wasptail. “I’ll bring her as soon as I can,” she promised. “I don’t want Darktail to suspect anything.”

Wasptail blinked, though her pelt still bristled with anxiety. Brindlepaw stood. “We should get going,” she meowed, glancing toward the sun. The others murmured in agreement, and they began making their way to ThunderClan territory. Brindlepaw glanced at the moors, expecting a WindClan patrol to show themselves and confront the ShadowClan cats. She shook out her pelt.  _ They won’t patrol this early, _ she told herself, praying it was true.

The trek to ThunderClan was silent. Sedgewhisker and Alderheart had planned to meet at the Ancient Oak, deeper into ThunderClan territory. They splashed across the river border of WindClan and ThunderClan. Brindlepaw glanced back at her territory one last time. It looked like no one followed them. She let out a sigh of relief.

They noticed a shape at the lakeshore, and Stormcloud of ThunderClan came rushing over. He scanned behind them. “Is it just you guys?” he mewed, his eyes round.

Sedgewhisker nodded. “Where are Alderheart and the others?”

Stormcloud flicked his tail to them. “Follow me.”

He guided them to the Ancient Oak, where Alderheart, Puddleshine, and Mothwing sat. Violetpaw rushed over to Puddleshine, brushing against the medicine cat before touching noses with Alderheart. Brindlepaw blinked. She didn’t know Violetpaw was so close to the ShadowClan medicine cat.  _ That’s right, _ she remembered,  _ she and Puddleshine are littermates. _

The others caught up to the apprentice and Alderheart got to his paws. “I have a plan,” he mewed.

Brindlepaw’s ears perked. “Oh thank StarClan,” she murmured. “What is it?”

Alderheart nodded to Mothwing, who lay a leaf filled with poppy seeds down. Violetpaw sniffed at them, her eyes wide. “What are these for?” she asked.

“We’re going to put these in Darktail and his rogue’s prey,” he meowed. “They’ll make him fall asleep, then we can get all the prisoners out.”

Sedgewhisker’s ears flattened. “Are you insane?” she asked, her tail lashing. “What if Violetpaw gets caught? What if it’s not enough?”

“We usually only give warriors three or four of these, and that’s enough to knock them out,” Mothwing sniffed, giving Sedgewhisker a look. “We have plenty of these back at camp.”

“So do I,” Brindlepaw spoke up, nodding to Violetpaw. “I could leave more at the border, if you’d like.” Sedgewhisker gave Brindlepaw a worried look, and the medicine cat knew what she was thinking.  _ We need those for Hootwhisker. But this is more important. _ Her stomach churned at that thought.

“No, this is enough,” Alderheart meowed. He blinked at Violetpaw. “Mistystar won’t fight until her warriors are safe. And the ShadowClan cats want their loyal Clanmates back. This plan should work. Bramblestar says we’ll go to the camp to get the prisoners out when he sees fit. I’ll tell you when he decides.”

“Are you sure you can feed them to the rogues without Darktail noticing?” Mothwing asked.

“I think so,” Violetpaw replied. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good,” Mothwing went on. “This is—” She broke off, then continued, “We really appreciate you taking this huge risk. RiverClan will never forget what we owe you.”

“ShadowClan too,” Wasptail meowed, and her kits murmured in agreement. “I don’t know what we’d do without you, Violetpaw.

“It’s the least I can do,” Violetpaw mewed, licking her chest fur. “Those ShadowClan warriors are my kin too.” She looked down at the poppy seeds. “How long will the cats who eat this be asleep?”

“It depends on their size and how much they eat,” Alderheart told her. “But it should keep them quiet for half the night, at least.”

Violetpaw nodded grimly. “Okay. Consider it done.”

Alderheart gazed at the young cat, reflecting on how serious she was, and how she had needed to grow up so quickly.  _ She’s so different from Twigpaw. I wonder what would have happened if ShadowClan hadn’t attacked that night. She’s seen so much since then. How different would she be? Would she be the Violetpaw we know now? _

But Alderheart quickly pushed that thought away, telling himself that it had all worked out for the best.

_ If she weren’t living among the rogues, we wouldn’t have a cat to help us, _ he told himself.  _ And without her . . . I don’t know what Needletail would have done. _ His heart ached for his friend. He wondered how she was doing, praying she was okay. He remembered the dream he had a few nights before. Was that a dream? Or a vision? He remembered the barn, the way Needletail apologized, the look on her face. It felt so real.  _ We’ll have a good life after we win. We  _ will _ win. We have to. I’ll get to see Needletail again someday. _

He watched Violetpaw get to her paws, say one last goodbye to Wasptail, Whorlpaw, and Flowerpaw, then follow Stormcloud, Sedgewhisker, and Brindlepaw to WindClan territory. “Safe travels,” he called, and Violetpaw nodded to him, waving her tail. They disappeared in the undergrowth.

“That’s a brave cat,” Mothwing murmured.

The ginger cat was remembering the moment, soon after he’d first found the kits, when he had touched his nose to Twigpaw’s and promised himself he would make sure she would have a good life.  _ How did we ever get from there to here? _

Alderheart sighed. “She’s the bravest cat I know.”


	28. Chapter Twenty-Six

Stars glittered on the dark beneath Sparkstorm’s paws. She didn’t know where she was and, for some reason, she didn’t care. She stared ahead of herself, her ears perked for any sign of movement or sound. The only thing she saw were the stars all around her. Above her, beneath her, in front of her. They were the only source of light in this world.

She picked up the pace, anxiety clutching at her chest as she went deeper and deeper into the forest of stars. She gasped when she saw a structure up ahead. It was small and brown with red tints across it. She heard shrieks ahead of her, making her skin crawl. She tried to run toward it, but she was so slow.

The warrior jolted awake. She was in her makeshift nest under a berry bush where she finally collapsed after travelling late into the night the day before. Now that she could see them, she recognized them as blackberries. She remembered the blackberry bushes that grew north of ThunderClan camp and when her mother and father brought them to her and Alderheart, wrapped in a leaf. They were the ripe black color now. She got to her paws and stretched, leaving the den so she could pick and nibble at the berries, spitting the seeds out.

It had been two days since she left ThunderClan camp. She had passed the Thunderpath where she was told Twigpaw and Honeyspots died, and began the trek toward the barn Alderheart had seen in his vision, where Sandstorm’s wound got infected.

Hunting was easy, especially since she was alone and didn’t have to worry about feeding her Clanmates, but it was hot and her thick fur only made it worse. She had to take several rests, even dipping herself into a puddle or a river. The water kept her cool for quite some time, but her pride was injured: now she could no longer make fun of RiverClan cats for liking water.

As Sparkstorm thought of the barn and Sandstorm, she thought of Alderheart back home.  _ I hope he’s not too worried. _ She snorted to herself. This was  _ Alderheart _ she was talking about, of course he was worried. Her stomach churned.  _ I’m sorry for leaving, _ Sparkstorm thought, hoping that StarClan would send that message to her brother to console him. She knew full well that Squirrelflight and Bramblestar would have never let her leave with the Kin so close to ThunderClan territory, so she left without a word.

The dream she had told Alderheart about before she left wasn’t the only one she had. She dreamed of Twigpaw and Honeyspots, and worried that telling Alderheart this would give him a false sense of hope that his kit was alive. She kept it out for a good reason.

Sparkstorm licked her jaws of the blackberry juice. They filled her up enough to keep traveling, but she’d have to hunt sometime soon. After grooming herself, she began heading toward the direction of the barn, hoping she’d come across the Twolegplace she’d seen in her dream.

As she walked, she thought of ThunderClan. Despite the fact that she had only been gone for a short while, nostalgia nagged at her she she thought of her camp. She missed the warriors’ den and the forest, and she missed patrols. She missed Alderheart and her parents. She prayed that she’d see them again soon .The idea of the Kin attacking camp while she was gone made her stomach cramp. Darktail had been plaguing her nightmares since he took over RiverClan. She sighed.  _ At least Alderheart has Puddleshine, _ she thought, smiling at the thought of the two toms fawning over each other .Even if Darktail had taken over ThunderClan, they would always have each other. Right?

Shaking out her fur, Sparkstorm picked up the pace. She wanted to reach the Twolegplace she saw in her dream before it got dark. Her pads were wet as she walked because of the hot sun. She hoped she could find water soon. The last time she drank anything was the day before, in the morning. There were no more no more rivers around here, and there was no rain. She sighed, sitting for a moment and panting. She wished she brought some of the berries with her. They wouldn’t hydrate her much, but it’d help.

Her ears swivelled around when she heard the dry grass crackle behind her. Crouching down, Sparkstorm unsheathed her claws, baring her teeth as she turned around. Her ears perked, eyes wide when she saw a silver cat behind her. Her heart stopped.

“Needletail?” she murmured, her voice rasping. She got to her paws, stumbling forward.

The cat blinked, her eyes wide. “Are you okay?”

The light caught on gold in her fur, and Sparkstorm saw that she had a collar around her neck. Just a kittypet. She slumped, taking deep breaths to calm her erratic heart. She looked so much like Needletail. Even her eyes were green, not as bright as Needletail’s, but still  _ so _ close. “I’m fine,” she meowed, clearing her throat. “Who are you?”

“My name is Mouse,” the kittypet meowed, padding closer to Sparkstorm. She had a strange accent, like Daisy back home. “Who are  _ you _ ?”

The warrior hesitated. She was just a kittypet, she couldn’t do that much harm, could she?  _ And she could help me find the Twolegplace. _ “My name is Sparkstorm. I’m not from here.”

Mouse’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t be part of the Clans, far away from here, would you?”

Sparkstorm blinked in surprise. How would she know that? “I am,” she meowed slowly. “I’m from ThunderClan.”

Mouse bounced. “My mother, Hen, says my mother was a Clan cat. She told me all about you cats before I was taken to my new house. My sister still lives there.” She got closer to Sparkstorm, her eyes shining. “What is it like to be a Clan cat?”

“It’s fine, I suppose.”  _ It’s not that fun right now. _ “Do you know where a Twolegplace might be? I’m looking for my friends. There’s a big, brown and red nest.”

Mouse looked confused for a heartbeat. “Oh, you mean the vet?”

Sparkstorm shrugged. “I don’t know what it’s called.”

“I can take you there! My Twolegs bring me there a lot.” She flicked her tail to the warrior. “And you look like you need something to drink. I can take you to my house for some water. My owners aren’t home today.”

Sparkstorm’s skin crawled at the thought of being in a Twoleg nest, but her mouth was too dry to decline her offer. Mouse led her through the field, and eventually Sparkstorm saw the Twolegplace ahead of them. It wasn’t like the Twolegplace she’d heard about from Graystripe, which had tall structures and lots of Twolegs, it was just a few small nests, small Thunderpaths with slow monsters running around, and a few Twoleg kits playing with one another.

“It’s summer, so the kids are home all day,” Mouse explained. Sparkstorm wondered if summer was like Greenleaf for Mouse. “But don’t worry, my owners don’t have any kids.” Sparkstorm nodded slowly. Mouse led her to a fence and leapt on top of it. “This is my house. You’re lucky we’re right on the edge of town, I wouldn’t have found you otherwise. Come on.”

Sparkstorm followed her over the fence. The grass here was short and a lush green, with a few bushes near the fence. She recognized another blackberry bush, but they weren’t ripe enough to eat yet. They followed a brown path to a see through wall. Beside it was a black flap that Mouse padded through, flicking her tail for Sparkstorm to follow.

The inside was dark and it made Sparkstorm feel claustrophobic. It was strange, nothing like ThunderClan dens.  _ How do Twolegs live in these places? _

“Here,” Mouse meowed, leading Sparkstorm to something metal, with a dip inside. Inside of it was water. Sparkstorm sniffed, then lapped at it; it was stale, unlike the cool mountain water in the lake. But she was happy to drink it. Her mouth was no longer dry after quite some time of drinking, and when she was finished, she licked her jaws, satisfied. “Feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you.” Sparkstorm flicked her whiskers of the water.

“Do you want any food?”

Sparkstorm wrinkled her nose. She’d heard about the disgusting, dry pellets that kittypets eat. Needletail had told her once that they were okay, but still not as good as prey. “It’d be better than having to hunt all day and only catch a scrawny mouse,” she had sniffed and Sparkstorm rolled her eyes, but she remembered the intense heat in her chest.

“No,” she meowed. “I ate some berries earlier.”

Mouse shrugged and ate a few mouthfuls, crunching on the hard food, before leading Sparkstorm back out of the nest. “Are you the only cat there?” Sparkstorm asked.

“Yeah. I used to have a friend, her name was Fawn, but she passed away a few months ago.” Her eyes rounded and Sparkstorm lowered her head. “But it’s okay. There are lots of cats around here, I have lots of friends, and I sleep with my Twolegs when I’m lonely.” Still Sparkstorm felt bad. She couldn’t live without her friends and kin in ThunderClan. “Come on, the vet is this way.”

They padded deeper into Twoleg territory and the structures became bigger and bigger, but it looked about the same. There were many new monsters here, and a lot more Twolegs. Sparkstorm’s pelt prickled as they walked along the gray stone underneath her paws, right near a Thunderpath. As monsters passed by, Sparkstorm had to flatten her ears to block out the noise.

“We’re here,” Mouse meowed. Sparkstorm’s ears perked when she saw the structure she’d seen in her dream. Her paws tingled ass he stared at it. Were Honeyspots and Twigpaw there now? “Come on, there’s a window in the back that’s always opened in the summer.” Mouse padded around the back of the Twoleg nest, leaping up into an opening in the wall, a “window” as she called it. Sparkstorm followed her up and they leapt down together, their pads hitting the cold, smooth ground. The light above them was bright and almost blue, making Sparkstorm’s eyes hurt.

They padded out of the den and Mouse led Sparkstorm to a different part of the nest with lots of Twoleg traps. She recognized the shiny silver traps from Squirrelflight’s story about how she saved Leafpool from Twolegs in the old forest. “These look easy to open,” Sparkstorm mewed.

“They are. I can open them if you need me to.” Sparkstorm nodded to her. “Do you see your friends?”

Sparkstorm scanned the traps. “Honeyspots?” she called. Her ears perked when she saw a calico head lift and look around. “There you are!” She and Mouse ran up to her trap, which sat at the bottom, under two or three more.

“What are you doing here?” Honeyspots asked, her eyes wide. “How did you know where we were?”

“I saw it in a dream,” Sparkstorm meowed as Mouse unlocked the cage and swung it open. The two she-cats stepped back so Honeyspots could hop out of the trap. “Where’s Twigpaw? Is she . . .” She swallowed, scared of the answer. “Is she dead?”

“No, thank StarClan,” Honeyspots mewed and stretched her aching limbs. “She was in the cage next to me, then a Twoleg took her to another room. She was pretty badly injured, especially with her leg already broken.”

“We should probably wait then,” Mouse meowed, blinking at Sparkstorm. “The Twolegs will help her more than you can.”

Sparkstorm sighed. She thought of Twigpaw along here over night. It would be scary.

“I agree. The Twolegs helped a lot when they first brought us here.” She showed them her paw. “I sprained it when I fell out of a tree, and they healed it pretty fast. Now I’m only limping.”

Sparkstorm couldn’t help but purr. Since Ivypool’s patrol came home saying that Twigpaw and Honeyspots were dead, she felt so empty. Poor Lilyheart and Alderheart had to endure such pain. And . . . she and Honeyspots had been so close as apprentices, even after Sparkstorm became a warrior. Now, to see Honeyspots alive and well, it made her heart ache in a different way. Warmth bloomed behind her ribs and her heart felt full and solid. She nodded. “Very well,” she meowed. “We’ll come back for her tomorrow.” As they made their way to the open window, Sparkstorm touched her nose to Honeyspots’. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Honeyspots’ purr was loud. They leap over to the outside. “Where are you going to go?” Mouse asked. 

“I suppose we should go back to the bush I was camping under,” Sparkstorm sighed. “I don’t like it here. We can come back tomorrow.”

“Okay. I have to go home, so I can meet you at the bush and lead you back tomorrow.”

“That’d be great.” Sparkstorm blinked at her. “Thank you for your help.”

They headed back to the small Twoleg nests. When they reached Mouse’s home, the sun was setting. With a quick goodbye to the kittypet, Honeyspots and Sparkstorm made their way to the blackberry bush.

Honeyspots gasped when she saw the berries. “I haven’t had these since I was a kit,” she meowed, plucking a few off. “Snowbush would bring them back to camp for Leafshade, Larktail, and me.”

Sparkstorm smiled. “Bramblestar and Squirrelflight would bring us them too.” she sat down next to the younger warrior and ate a few berries herself before they both made a nest close to each other and laid down to sleep.

“Do you think we’ll be able to save Twigpaw tomorrow?” Honeyspots murmured.

“I hope we can,” Sparkstorm replied. She imagined the look on Alderheart’s face if she came home with only Honeyspots and shivered. “I’m sure everything will go fine. Go to sleep.” She licked the fur on Honeyspots’ forehead and they both drifted off into darkness, Sparkstorm snoring.

\---------

Sparkstorm’s ears flicked. It was moonhigh. She lifted her head when she heard pawsteps and whispering outside. Her fur prickling, she stepped out with unsheathed claws, staying silent. She let out a growl when she saw the silhouettes of three cats. One of their heads perked. “Sparkstorm?”

She recognized that voice. “Rosepetal?”

Rosepetal, Toadstep, and Ambersky stepped out into the moonlight, their eyes wide. “Sparkstorm! Are you okay?” Rosepetal rushed up to her, sniffing at her former apprentice’s fur.

Sparkstorm hugged her. “I’m fine. What are you doing here?”

“We’re looking for you,” Ambersky meowed. “Squirrelflight and Bramblestar sent us after you to bring you home. They’ve been worried.”

“I’m sorry I had to leave.” She lowered her ears. “How’s Alderheart? Is ThunderClan okay?”

“Everything in ThunderClan is fine,” Toadstep explained. “But Alderheart is also worried sick.” His eyes rounded. “After losing Twigpaw, he thought he’d lost you too.”

Guilt gripped at Sparkstorm. “Why don’t you come in?” she meowed. They followed her into the makeshift den. Honeyspots was sitting up, having been woken up by Sparkstorm.

Toadstep stepped in and his eyes widened when he saw Honeyspots, as if he couldn’t believe she was sitting there. “Honeyspots?” he murmured, tears in his eyes. “You’re alive!” He rushed forward and hugged his former apprentice. “We all thought you were with StarClan, Ivypool said you were hit by a monster.”

Honeyspots looked confused. “We  _ were _ hit by a monster,” she mewed

“And you survived?” Ambersky’s eyes were wide. The warrior had probably never seen a monster until this journey. Sparkstorm shuddered when she remembered her first time seeing the great beasts that Twolegs seemed to have tamed.

“Barely,” Honeyspots sighed. “If it weren’t for the Twolegs that helped us, I don’t think either of us would have survived.”

“You mean Twigpaw’s alive as well?” Toadstep shared a glance with his sister.

“Where is she now?” the cream warrior asked.

“Still with the Twolegs,” Sparkstorm meowed.

Rosepetal looked agitated. “If she hadn’t been so set on seeing her kin, we wouldn’t be in this situation.” The warriors in the den shared glances. Rosepetal was usually a level headed warrior, but this seemed to be taking a toll on her. Toadstep wrapped his tail around his sister’s haunches.

“Well at least she’s alive.” Sparkstorm sat in her nest beside Honeyspots. “We should all get some rest.” The older warriors made their own nests, not at all as comfortable as the nests back home, and fell asleep. Sparkstorm hoped that no dreams plagued her that night.

When she opened her eyes again, she was relieved to see she was back in the den. Then her heart sank again. Underneath her was her own body, her tail twitching in her sleep. She huffed and padded out of the makeshift den. The sun was just beginning to rise to the west, toward the Clans. Her ears perked when she saw a sparkling tortoiseshell shape in front of her. She’d see that cat in her past dreams.

“Hollyleaf!” she called, rushing forward toward her cousin. “What’s going on? Why am I dreaming again?”

Hollyleaf purred, blinking at Sparkstorm. “Follow me,” she meowed, her voice almost a whisper. She flicked her spiky tail and began running to the north. Sparkstorm followed close behind. She felt as though she was floating, her paws barely touching the earth.

Sparkstorm began to recognize the land, and her ears perked when she saw a barn ahead of her. It was the barn Alderheart dreamed of, she knew it. “What are we doing here?” she asked, her eyes wide. Then she saw a cat pad out of the barn. Her ears perked. He looked so familiar. “That’s him, isn’t it? That’s Twigpaw’s dad?” She turned to Hollyleaf.

The tortoiseshell blinked. “Yes.”

The SkyClan cats were so close . . . “I’ll find them,” she meowed, her voice firm. “I promise I will.”

Hollyleaf pressed her nose to her forehead. “You must find the three others before SkyClan,” she told her. “They’ll help you.”

“I’ll find Twigpaw and then I’ll go to them.” Sparkstorm nuzzled her cousin. “Thank you, Hollyleaf.”

Sparkstorm jolted awake. She was back under the blackberry bush. The other warriors were awake, besides Toadstep. Ambersky, Honeyspots, and Rosepetal were putting prey down in the middle of the den.

Honeyspots blinked at Sparkstorm. “Are you okay? You were twitching in your sleep. Come over here, have a mouse.”

Sparkstorm approached her Clanmates and sat down heavily. “Fine. Just some weird dreams.” She tucked into the mouse, but she could barely taste it. She was anxious to find Twigpaw. If they got caught, they may never see ThunderClan again. Once she was finished, she got to her paws again. “Let’s go.” Rosepetal woke Toadstep and they followed Sparkstorm out of the den. “We’ll meet a friend who can help us at the Twolegplace.”

Sparkstorm led the others toward Mouse’s Twoleg nest. She saw the silver she-cat sitting on her fence, her ears perking when she saw the Clan cats. “Are they friends of yours?” the kittypet asked when they reached her, blinking at the three new cats. Mouse leapt down next to the warriors. She looked intimidated by the older cats.

“Yes, they’re my Clanmates,” Sparkstorm explained. “They came to find Twigpaw with us.”

The older warriors dipped their heads, and Toadstep mewed a quick, “Hello.”

Mouse nodded. “Are any of you hungry? My Twolegs left me a lot of food today.”

Rosepetal wrinkled her nose. “No thanks,” she meowed. “We need to get Twigpaw soon.”

They followed Mouse to the vet. Sparkstorm still hated being this close to Twolegs, and it seemed the older warriors did too. Mouse showed them the open window and they leapt through. Rosepetal turned to Ambersky and Toadstep. “You two stay here. We'll come get you if you need help.”

Sparkstorm nodded and leapt down beside Honeyspots. They padded out of the room, making sure no Twolegs could see them. Sparkstorm’s fur bristled. This was risky with more cats than the day before.  _ Maybe Rosepetal should’ve stayed behind too. _

They reached the room with the cages and Sparkstorm scanned them for any sign of Twigpaw. “There she is,” Rosepetal whispered, pointing to a gray heap. “Come on.”

Like the day before, Mouse opened the cage and Honeyspots jumped in, sniffing at Twigpaw’s fur. “She’s sleeping,” she meowed, her eyes round as she looked at her sister. “We have to carry her out. Sparkstorm, help me.”

Sparkstorm leapt up beside her and helped pick the apprentice up. She wasn’t a kit anymore, she’d grown a lot. It would’ve been hard to carry her alone. They dragged her out of the cage. Sparkstorm’s eyes widened when she saw her limp leg. “Look,” she murmured, putting her down and sniffing at it.

Mouse lowered her ears. “I’ve seen a cat in my neighborhood with a leg like that. She can walk, but she limps.”

“Is she going to be okay?” Honeyspots asked. “Do you think she'll still be a warrior-?”

“Of course,” Sparkstorm cut her off. “She’ll be fine, we just have to get her home. Grab her again.”

They carried her to the window, and dismay gripped at Sparkstorm. “We can’t jump up there with her on us. I'll find another way out. You go.”

Rosepetal shared a look with Mouse. “Stay safe,” she told her former apprentice, pressing her nose to her forehead. She jumped out of the window with the silver kittypet and disappeared.

“I’m not leaving,” Honeyspots mewed firmly. “Come on, I’ll help carry her.”

Before Sparkstorm could object, Honeyspots began walking, forcing Sparkstorm to follow. They left the room and looked around, their pawsteps light. “Look,” Honeyspots murmured, pointing her nose to the wall. A part of it was propped open with something brown. “Come on, we can go through there.” They padded toward the opening hiding from passing Twolegs as they went. Sparkstorm’s heart was racing.

When they were close enough, they bounded through, careful not to drop Twigpaw. They panted and slowed their pace when they met the warriors and Mouse. They looked worried as they flocked around Sparkstorm and Honeyspots. “Are you okay?” Ambersky asked. “Thank StarClan you got Twigpaw.”

“You guys can rest at my house,” Mouse meowed. “Come on, let’s go before it gets dark.”

They got to Mouse’s nest without any troubles, though Honeyspots and Sparkstorm had to give Toadstep and Rosepetal Twigpaw after quite some time of walking. The warriors rested beside Mouse’s fence so they could travel more the next day. Rosepetal, Toadstep, and Ambersky went hunting while Sparkstorm watched over Twigpaw.

“You’re gonna tell us all about why you left once we get back,” Rosepetal had meowed sternly.

“Of course.” Sparkstorm waved her tail to them as they left and began grooming Twigpaw’s ruffled fur.

“Thanks for coming to find us,” Honeyspots spoke up. “I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”

Sparkstorm flushed and she nodded, unable to say anything. The calico warrior touched noses with her before curling up with her sister and closing her eyes. Instead of sleeping, Sparkstorm stared up at the stars.  _ I hope Alderheart’s okay, _ she thought, sighing.  _ I’ll be back soon, I promise. _


	29. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Needletail’s claws sheathed and unsheathed as she dreamed in her nest. Her tail lashed and she jolted awake when she felt a paw on her shoulder. Flailing, Needletail jumped to her paws. She unsheathed her claws when she saw Sleekwhisker. “Relax,” Sleekwhisker hissed. “I’m here to get you out.”

Needletail’s ears perked. Was Sleekwhisker planning on rebelling against Darktail? Her heart raced faster. Sleekwhisker dropped a rabbit in front of Needletail. “Eat quick,” she meowed. “And meet me outside the den. This place stinks.” She glared at the RiverClan warriors. “I don’t know how you lived like this”

Curlfeather glared back at Sleekwhisker, a growl rising in her throat. Sleekwhisker slipped out of the den as Needletail began to dig into the rabbit. She licked her jaws. “Do you need any?” she asked the prisoners, keeping her tone low.

The RiverClan cats glanced at each other. “It seems you’re going to need your strength for this,” Duskfur meowed, blinking at Needletail. “You’ve sacrificed enough for us. Have all of it.”

Needletail downed the rest of the rabbit, her stomach gurgling in gratitude. She almost felt sick when she finished it; guilt bubbled up inside her.  _ I don’t deserve this . . . _

She groomed her matted fur a bit before following Sleekwhisker out of the den. The tortoiseshell she-cat gave her campmate a round-eyed blink, then led her away from the RiverClan prison. Needletail’s pelt prickled. What was happening? Then she remembered . . .  _ Oh no. _ Could this be the day she had to kill Rain?

Her stomach churned and she wished she hadn’t eaten the whole rabbit. Sleekwhisker stopped and Needletail padded up beside her. Her heart lurched when she saw Raven and Roach flanking Darktail. Scratches and bitemarks laced them and ruffled their fur. “What happened?” Needletail asked, her eyes wide as she stared at Rain’s siblings.

“They spotted Rain on RiverClan territory, near the ShadowClan border and attacked her,” Darktail explained, unsheathing his claws. Menace glimmered in his eyes. Needletail’s heart stopped.  _ That  _ is _ what this is about. _ “Rain fought back. She’s strong for a loner.”

Sleekwhisker blinked at Needletail, her tail brushing down her side. Needletail was reminded of the first night she brought Sleekpaw and Violetkit to the rogues. She shuddered. “Darktail says if you kill her, you can leave the RiverClan prison,” she meowed, “and if I help, I’ll be given a new name: a  _ Kin _ name.” Her eyes sparkled.

Needletail’s paws prickled. As she thought of Rain, she thought of Alderheart’s quest, when they met the gray she-cat. They’d become so close while journeying to find SkyClan. Her heart ached as she remembered seeing Rain on ShadowClan territory again, after a few moons of seeing none of the Kin cats. She dug her claws into the dirt, hurt clawing at her. Rain had left her. Without even telling. She wanted to tell herself that this wasn’t the right way to feel toward her former mate, Rain didn’t  _ want _ to leave. But the anger that bubbled up in her chest was too much. “Let’s go,” she meowed.

Darktail lifted his head as if surprised. Then he gave them a grin. “Be safe,” he meowed, dipping his head to them as they padded past.

Needletail and Sleekwhisker slipped out of camp. Needletail took one last look. Raven and Roach were pretty banged up. This could be the last time she saw the camp. She leaped back when a cat bumped into her. She turned to hiss, stopping when she recognized Violetpaw’s pelt. She smelled different. Just like she did when she visited Needletail in the dead of night a few days before.

Violetpaw blinked at her friend. “Where are you going?”

Needletail shared a glance with Sleekwhisker. Sleekwhisker’s eyes were narrow as she glared at the apprentice. “This doesn’t concern you,” Needletail meowed, her tone harsh.

Violetpaw’s ears flattened, eyes rounded. Needletail cringed inwardly. She hadn’t meant to upset her. “We’re just hunting,” Needletail meowed, clearing her throat. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back in a bit.”

Violetpaw glanced at Sleekwhisker, before nodding slowly. “Stay safe,” she meowed, brushing past them and padding into camp.

As Needletail padded toward ShadowClan territory, Sleekwhisker watched the black-and-white she-cat go. Then she picked up her pace to catch up with Needletail. “You shouldn’t have lied to her,” the tortoiseshell mewed, her voice silky. She whisked her tail, trying to intertwine it with Needletail’s, but the silver she-cat tugged her’s away.

“I didn’t want her to know,” Needletail murmured, lowering her head. “She doesn’t need more to be stressed about.”

Sleekwhisker snorted. “What does  _ that _ cat have to be worried about? All she does all day is eat and hunt.”

Needletail didn’t reply.

They trekked toward the border, keeping close to the lake, where Darktail said Rain had been seen. “Did—” Needletail looked at her paws. “Did Raven and Roach say how Rain was?”

Sleekwhisker laughed. “Said she was a ragged thing,” she meowed. “But, still, they got their tails beaten by that mangy piece of fur. She must be eating well.”

“Yeah.” Needletail’s stomach churned. She didn’t think that rabbit was going to stay down much longer. She went silent, not wanting to think about Rain. Soon, the loner would be dead under her claws, there was no time for being nostalgic about her former mate.

After a long silence, Sleekwhisker spoke up again. “I miss you, Needletail,” she meowed, brushing against her. “Don’t you remember when we were close? Before we joined the Kin, we were inseparable. Then that mangy she-cat got in the way.” Her nose wrinkled. “Maybe, after Rain is dead, we can go back to the way things were.”

Needletail sniffed.  _ I’m afraid I can’t say the same. _ Sleekwhisker had always been a little strange, always wanting things to go  _ her _ way. She’d guilt trip Needlepaw and Beepaw into doing things they didn’t want to do.  _ Those innocent eyes won’t get me anymore. _ Still, as she glanced at Sleekwhisker and those round green eyes of hers, she couldn’t help the ache in her heart, nostalgia washing over her. She missed having friends, close friends. Now all she had was Violetpaw, and they barely had time for each other anymore. Most of all, she missed Beenose.  _ Where did she run off to? _ she wondered. She remembered the night before Beenose disappeared, they had eaten a rabbit together. Was that her way of saying goodbye?

Then she felt the urge to vomit when she remembered the night when Darktail nearly drowned Dawnpelt and  _ did _ drown Sparrowtail and Shimmerpelt. Is that what happened to Beenose? She glanced at Sleekwhisker, who was still staring at her with those wide eyes. She fought the urge to unsheathe her claws. “Whatever happened—”

They both stopped when they heard bushes rustling beside them. Sleekwhisker flattened her tail, signaling for Needletail to keep low. The silver she-cat crouched down, and they slunk toward the bushes. Needletail bristled when a familiar scent washed over her scent glands.  _ Rain. _

Sleekwhisker was the first to leap into the bush, Needletail close behind her. Her claws hit fur, and she dug them in, sick satisfaction rushing over her when she reached skin, warm blood seeping into her paw fur. Needletail yelped when the cat scratched her cheek, hot pain flashing through her.

Sleekwhisker was able to grab the intruder by the scruff and drag them out, pinning them to the ground. Needletail’s stomach churned when she saw Rain’s scared, but determined green eye. She stared at Needletail, her chest rising and falling at a quick pace. “What are you doing here?” she snarled.

Sleekwhisker gave her a sinister grin, her claws digging into her pelt. “We’re here under Darktail’s order to kill you,” she told Rain, a satisfied glint in her eye when Rain yowled.

The gray she-cat hissed at Sleekwhisker, flailing her paws to catch Sleekwhisker with her claws. The tortoiseshell she-cat backed off, a growl rumbling in her throat. “I fought off Raven and Roach,” she spat, “I can do the same to you.” Still, when Sleekwhisker bared her teeth, she looked scared. 

Needletail glanced at Sleekwhisker, the world whirling around her. She couldn’t faint now. She had to do as Darktail told her. She unsheathed her claws. Rain stared at her with her wide eye. Then Rain yowled, launching herself at Sleekwhisker. Sleekwhisker screeched and swiped at her face, barely missing her nose. The tortoiseshell overpowered Rain. Rain fought back at full force, pummeling Sleekwhisker’s stomach with her back paws. Dazed, Sleekwhisker stumbled back.

Needletail just watched as Rain got to her paws, her pelt bushed out to twice its size.  _ I can’t, _ she thought.  _ I can’t, I can’t. _ She squeezed her eyes shut, shoved down her guilt, and threw herself at Rain.  _ I have to. _

She bowled Rain over, and they rolled across the earth. Water washed their pelts. Needletail scratched Rain’s cheek, blood staining the lake red. Rain stared up at Needletail. “Why are you doing this?” the gray she-cat asked, her voice shaking.

Needletail couldn’t bring herself to answer. She dug her claws deep into Rain’s shoulders. The gray she-cat screeched as she threw Needletail off, sending her onto the hard Thunderpath that bordered ShadowClan and RiverClan. Her paw ached. She whipped her head around to see what Rain was going to do next. The loner threw herself at Sleekwhisker, and the tortoiseshell reared back, taking all of her weight.

Sleekwhisker bit down hard on Rain’s shoulder as she struggled to pin her down. “Darktail is our leader!” Sleekwhisker hissed through the clump of fur. “We follow his orders without question.”

“Darktail is a tyrant!” Rain bat at Sleekwhisker’s face, leaving deep wounds behind. 

Sleekwhisker howled as she burst upward, rolling so Rain was underneath her. She held Rain down, water washing the loner’s fur. Sleekwhisker turned to Needletail. “You should be the one to do it,” she meowed, holding the loner down. “Come here, and finish the job.”

Needletail stepped forward, her paws shaking. Sleekwhisker backed off, and Rain got to her paws, staring at her former mate with wide eyes. There was no way out; she was bleeding too much to run. Rain was shaking as well. “Needle,” she murmured, her voice crackling. “Please, don’t do this. We were mates.” Needletail felt a flash of anger, overtaking her fear. “I loved you.”

The anger lashed out into a blazing fire, boiling inside her, rushing from her nose to her tail-tip, making her chest tight. Her eyes were slits, lips curling up into a snarl. "If you loved me, why didn’t you stay with me?” she hissed, her voice stronger than she thought it would be. She felt powerful, unsheathing and sheathing her claws. “If you loved me, why didn’t you  _ tell _ me about what you were planning?”

“You wouldn’t have understood!” Rain told her. “I knew how loyal you were to Darktail, I know what would have happened if—”

Needletail screamed and launched herself toward Rain, slamming her down into the lake. Bubbles rose from the she-cats mouth as she yowled. “You left me!” she cried, her voice breaking. “You left me just like everyone else! I thought—” She choked, tears making her vision fuzzy. “I thought you were different.” She dug her claws into Rain’s chest. “But I was wrong.”

“Do it!” Sleekwhisker yowled. “Kill her, Needletail. Follow Darktail’s order.”

Needletail couldn’t see. The world was turning black around her. If she did this, what would happen to her? Darktail would trust her again, she’d no longer be in that reeking prison. But she could never forgive herself. Snarling, Needletail took her paws off Rain’s chest. The loner broke the surface, coughing and vomiting up water. She stared at Needletail, as if not knowing what to do.

“What are you doing?” Needletail snapped, her tail lashing. “ _ Leave! _ Get out of here, before I change my mind.”

Rain stared at Needletail for a few more heartbeats. Her eyes were glassy, and Needletail didn’t know if she was upset or horrified. Then she turned tail and ran off, a trail of blood following her. Needletail panted, her tense shoulders relaxing. She sat heavily, her tail still lashing back and forth across the dirt. Then she became rigid again when a cat cleared their throat behind her.

She turned to Sleekwhisker, her breath hitching. Sleekwhisker’s eyes were narrow, but the glimmer was still there a menacing yet comforting sparkle. She had a twisted grin on her face. “Tread carefully, Pine Needle,” she murmured, her tone deceivingly gentle, sending shivers down Needletail's spine. “This secret could slip.”


	30. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Twigpaw glanced around at the blackness around her. She had woken up here and walked around a bit, but never saw any cats. It was weird. Her flat ears perked when she saw a tortoiseshell pelt in the distance. She blinked a few times. She recognized that cat. That was the cats she saw when she fell into the river, all those moons ago. The memory was fuzzy, but she knew that pelt anywhere. That was her mother!

Twigpaw bounded toward her, her heart racing. The tortoiseshell she-cat smiled as Twigpaw approached, but there was a sympathetic glint in her eyes. Twigpaw slowed to a halt. She swallowed, blinking at the cat. “Are you—” She stood taller. “Are you my mother?”

Her heart sank when the tortoiseshell shook her head. “My name is Hollyleaf.”

Twigpaw perked up at that name, though her heart still ached. Hollyleaf was the sister of Jayflight and Lionblaze, and Alderheart and Sparkstorm’s cousin, formerly one of the Four before she died during the Great Battle.  _ I’ve heard so many stories . . . I never thought I’d be able to meet her. _

“Twigpaw,” Hollyleaf mewed her voice grave, “your mother is very lost. Many cats are. Remember this, Little Branch.  _ Lost spirits can only be found by the split cat. _ ”

Twigpaw blinked, confused. “The split cat? Who is that? What does that mean?”

A cat padded up from behind Hollyleaf. She was a brown tabby she-cat, white spots speckled her nose. She gave Twigpaw a warm look, touching her nose to the apprentice’s own. “Have faith, Twigpaw. Follow the Blood Trail. You will find who you’re looking for. You will be okay.”

When Twigpaw opened her eyes, she didn't know where she was. She was in a cave, cold and damp, along. “Hello?” she called, her eyes wide. “Honeyspots? Where am I?” She raised her head, expecting her back paw to start hurting. But it didn’t. Her stomach yowled in need of food.

“Twigpaw!” Her ears perked when she heard Honeyspots’ voice. The calico she-cat padded into the den, her eyes wide. “Oh, thank StarClan you’re awake! We had to carry you all the way here.”

“ _ We _ ?” Twigpaw strained to see behind Honeyspots. “Who’s ‘we’?”

Honeyspots flicked her tail and padded all the way into the den. Twigpaw saw four cats and recognized their pelts right away. Rosepetal, Sparkstorm, Ambersky, and Toadstep. “What are they doing here?”  _ First Honeyspots, now them. _ Anger flashed through Twigpaw’s pelt.  _ This was supposed to be  _ my  _ quest! _

“Sparkstorm said she had a dream about a couple of cats,” Honeyspots explained, “and came looking for them. On her journey here, she had another dream about us. We were trapped in a Twoleg den, it was cold, and there were a few other cats there. You were passed out for a while we were there, and a Twoleg with a white coat looked us over—” Her eyes flashed as if she just remembered something, and she lowered her head. “Your leg . . .” Twigpaw’s ears perked. “I think you may have landed funny when you fell out of the tree, and—well . . .” Twigpaw looked at her back leg. Her eyes widened: it was stretched out awkward and stiff behind her. She tried to flex it, but pain flashed through her. She scrambled to her paws. “Be careful,” Honeyspots warned her, rushing over to press against her sister.

“What—what’s gonna happen?” Twigpaw asked. Panic gripped at her chest. She stumbled, her paw aching when she put too much weight on it. “I can’t move my leg. Do you think I won’t be able to be a warrior?”

“Don’t be mousebrained,” Honeyspots mewed, nudging her sister. “I know Bramblestar and Alderheart wouldn’t take away your dream of becoming a warrior.” Still, there was doubt glimmering in her eyes. “Come on, Sparkstorm and Rosepetal are deciding where we need to go next.” She sniffed at Twigpaw’s leg. “You can walk, right?”

Twigpaw puffed up her chest in indignation, taking a step forward. Her back paw didn't move, it only dragged along the dirt behind her. She winced, but nodded, limping out of the den with Honeyspots close beside her. She tried to keep her head high as she walked, though her leg pained her. As the setting sunlight slanted through the trees hit her eyes, she blinked, her dream coming back to her.  _ The Blood Trail. _ “We have to follow the Blood Trail.”

Honeyspots blinked, bemused. “The what?” She pressed against Twigpaw, pressing her nose to Twigpaw’s forehead as if checking for a fever. “Are you feeling okay?”

Twigpaw whipped her head around. “I had a dream,” she meowed, flicking her tail. “I met Hollyleaf—” Rosepetal and Toadstep exchanged a glance and padded closer to the apprentice, “—and I think I saw a SkyClan cat. She was a brown tabby with white speckles on her face.”

“That might be Frecklewish!” Sparkstorm gasped. “She’s a cat Alderheart met on our quest to SkyClan. That’s how he described her.”

Toadstep’s eyes rounded. “So she did join StarClan.” He lowered his head. “Without her, we wouldn’t have found out that Darktail had taken over SkyClan.”

Ambersky blinked at Twigpaw. “What happened in your dream?”

“They told me we must follow the Blood Trail,” Twigpaw went on. “But I don’t know what that means.”

“The Blood Trail,” Sparkstorm murmured, narrowing her eyes. “What could that mean?”

“Do you think some cat got hurt and left a trail of blood?” Ambersky asked, putting her nose to the earth and sniffing around for any sign of blood.

Rosepetal snorted. “Of course not,” she meowed. “Do you really think StarClan would be that straightforward?”

“You’re right.” Sparkstorm lifted her gaze toward the sky. She pointed to a long trail of clouds, blazing red in the setting sun’s light. “Look! There, that’s the Blood Trail. Come on.” She rushed forward, her tail rippling in excitement.

Ambersky gave Twigpaw a worried glance. “Maybe we should wait a day or two here,” she meowed.

Twigpaw lifted her head, her eyes narrowing. “I can keep up,” she insisted, breaking away from Honeyspots and limping up next to Sparkstorm. Honeyspots stayed close behind her, her worry obvious in her green eyes. “We need to go  _ now _ , SkyClan won’t be in the barn forever.”

“Twigpaw’s right.” Rosepetal joined Twigpaw and her former apprentice. Toadstep and Ambersky shared a glance but didn’t protest as they caught up with their sibling. Twigpaw felt a sense of purpose rush through her veins as she followed Sparkstorm in the direction of the Blood Trail.  _ I will find SkyClan, _ she told herself,  _ and I’ll show them how important I am. _

\--------

Twigpaw’s breaths came out as erratic puffs. She lagged behind the other warriors, Honeyspots standing close in front of her. The sun was just beginning to disappear over the horizon behind them, the Blood Trail fading away. Twigpaw stared at the sky. Anxiety had replaced the pride that ran through her long ago.  _ Was it just a dream? _ “You need a break,” Honeyspots told her, pressing her nose to her ear. Twigpaw leaned into her warmth without realizing it. Honeyspots smelled like Snowbush. She missed her father so much she nearly broke down into tears.

Then she tugged away, pressing on though her legs burned as if begging her to stop; the fur on her limp leg was being torn off as it dragged in the dirt behind her. “I can keep going,” she meowed, taking deep breaths as she caught up with Ambersky, who was in the back of the group of older warriors.

Rosepetal stopped. “Well, we’ve lost all our light,” she meowed as the sun was snuffed behind them. “We should stop here tonight, and get some rest. We’ll keep searching tomorrow.”

Panic flashed inside Twigpaw. “No! We have to keep going. We have to find SkyClan.”

Sparkstorm shared a glance with Toadstep. “We’ve done the best we can tonight,” Ambersky told the apprentice calmly. “But now we need to rest. SkyClan won’t get far.”

“If you don’t go, I will,” Twigpaw meowed, eyes narrowing.

“That’s enough, Twigpaw.” Rosepetal stepped forward. “You can’t rush off again.”

Twigpaw’s nose wrinkled. “You don’t get it,” she snapped, her head spinning. “I need to find SkyClan. My  _ kin _ is there, we  _ need _ to find them!”

“We don’t even know if those cats  _ are _ your kin!” Anger began to blaze in Rosepetal’s eyes. “Think of someone besides yourself, Twigpaw. If you hadn’t run off on this harebrained adventure in the first place, we wouldn’t have to be risking our tails to save you.”

“Come now, Rose,” Ambersky meowed, pressing against the cream she-cat.

Twigpaw opened her jaws to snap back, but she stopped, hurt. She stared at Rosepetal in shock, before she spat at the warrior and ran into the undergrowth of the forest. She ignored the pain in her leg and the calls of the others behind her as bush branches and grass whipped at her, blind in the darkness of the night. She skidded to a halt when the ground dropped out from underneath her, nearly tumbling over the side of a cliff. Panting heavily, Twigpaw glanced back behind her to see Sparkstorm breaking through the undergrowth, leaves littering her pelt, with Honeyspots close behind her. Twigpaw’s fur bristled along her spine.

“Calm down, Twigpaw,” Honeyspots mewed, her eyes round. “We understand that you want to find your kin, but we’re tired. You are too. We need to sleep.”

Twigpaw slumped her shoulders. “I  _ need _ to find them,” she sobbed. “I need to show them I’m special.”

Sparkstorm shared a glance with Honeyspots, her hard gaze softening with sympathy. “I understand,” she meowed, padding toward Twigpaw and pressing her nose to her forehead. “I know what it’s like to feel like you’re not important. But you don’t need to keep pushing yourself to the brink of exhaustion. We will find SkyClan tomorrow, I promise. Right now, we need to set up camp.”

Twigpaw felt the energy drain out of her. She sighed and nodded. “Okay,” she mewled, getting to her paws.

“Do you need to lean on me?” Honeyspots asked, but Twigpaw shook her head, limping toward where Rosepetal, Ambersky, and Toadstep still stood.

Sparkstorm flicked at them to keep down, tasting the air. Twigpaw could already recognize the scent of a cat. “Who’s there?” Sparkstorm called, unsheathing her claws.

Twigpaw strained to see the pelt of the cat as they slowly padded out of the bushes. Her fire-colored-and-white pelt shined in the moonlight, green eyes narrow. “I mean no harm,” she meowed, blinking at Sparkstorm. “I heard you mention SkyClan. My name is Firefern, deputy of SkyClan.”

Sparkstorm and Honeyspots shared a shocked glance and Twigpaw’s folded ears perked, excitement rushing from her ears to her tailtip, driving the exhaustion away. “Yes! We’ve been looking for you!” She meowed, about to rush over to the deputy when Sparkstorm shot out her tail in front of her.

The ginger warrior unsheathed her claws. “How do we know you’re not lying?” she asked, a snarl in her meow. “You could just be one of those dirty rogues.”

Firefern looked offended for a moment, but shock and dismay replaced it. “You mean Darktail? Have you met him too?”

Honeyspots nodded, stepping forward. “We are Sparkstorm, Honeyspots, and Twigpaw of ThunderClan,” she explained, pointing at each of the cats as she named them. Firefern’s eyes landed on Twigpaw and they narrowed, staring into her as if searching for something. Twigpaw’s pelt ruffled.  _ Can she tell I’m a SkyClan cat? _ “Darktail has . . . taken a lot of territory by the lake.” She lowered her head. “We came to find you.”

Firefern huffed, her eyes narrowing. “That mange-ridden cat has done his damage to my Clan, but it seems that wasn’t enough.” She unsheathed her claws, digging them into the dirt.

“Is there only one of you?” Sparkstorm asked, changing the subject from the rogue leader. “Is the rest of SkyClan with you?”

“No, there’s only three of us,” Firefern explained, making fear flash through Twigpaw. Did the rest of SkyClan perish? “My other Clanmates are in a barn, farther back. It’s taken quite a few days to get here, but . . .” Her eyes rounded. “Well, we lost someone. We haven’t been making much progress after she was taken.” Honeyspots murmured her condolences. “I can take you to my Clanmates. They’ll be glad to hear that you’re from ThunderClan.”

“That’d be great,” Sparkstorm sighed. Honeyspots turned back into the undergrowth they came from to get Rosepetal, Toadstep, and Ambersky. When the four warriors returned, Rosepetal stared at Firefern with a suspicious glint in her eye. Firefern led them through the forest, the trees thinned out as they reached a moor. In the distance, Twigpaw saw two silhouettes. As they approached them, they both leaped to their paws, their claws unsheathing.

“Calm down,” Firefern meowed, flicking her tail to them. “These are ThunderClan cats.”

One of them, a ginger-and-white tabby about the same age as Twigpaw, blinked. “ThunderClan warriors?” he gasped. “Are you related to Firestar?”

“I’m his granddaughter,” Sparkstorm spoke up, blinking at them. “My name is Sparkstorm. We’ve been searching for you.”

The other warrior, an orange-and-white she-cat, shared a glance with Firefenr. “She could be the sparks,” she murmured. Twigpaw’s fur fluffed up. Did these cats think that Sparkstorm was the cat who was going to save SkyClan? I’m _ the special cat who’s going to save you, _ she wanted to say. But she kept her mouth shut, her tail twitching.

Firefern’s eyes sparked with interest. “We were planning to rest for tonight, but we can lead you to the barn,” she meowed. “It shouldn’t take too long. Maybe two or three days, if we’re quick.”

“We need sleep too,” Toadstep meowed, and his Clanmates murmured in agreement, besides Twigpaw who shuffled her paws, upset as she stared at the ground. Red caught her eyes, the look of an angry wound on Firefern’s paw, almost covered up by her fur. Twigpaw’s eyes widened.  _ That doesn’t look good. _ A list of herbs that could treat her ran through her mind.

“I’ll take watch, then,” Firefern meowed, getting to her paws and flicking her tail to the two other cats. “These are Bellaleaf and Twinepaw.” The two cats dipped their heads in greeting. Twigpaw tried not to wrinkle her nose. _ What kind of name is  _ Bella _ leaf? _ “We’ve hunted already, and caught more than enough prey to share with you. Please, help yourself.”

“Thank you,” Sparkstorm meowed, blinking at the deputy. She grabbed a squirrel from the pile and sat next to Honeyspots to share it, while Rosepetal and Toadstep ate a mouse.

Ambersky padded up next to Twigpaw, a mouse in her jaws. “Would you like to share?” she asked, her blue eyes sparkling. Twigpaw nodded, her stomach growling as she thought of eating. They both tucked into the prey, Twigpaw taking the first bite. As she chewed, she focused on Firefern’s wounds.  _ Maybe I should help her treat it . . . _ Once she finished, she groomed her paws and face.

Bellaleaf got to her paws and blinked at the foreign warriors. “I can help you get moss for your nests,” she offered. “There’s plenty in the forest.” Rosepetal and Toadstep went with her, looking wary as they followed her. Twigpaw took this as a chance to talk to Firefern.

She slowly approached the SkyClan deputy, her pelt prickling when she turned a questioning gaze on her, looking her up and down. Twigpaw sat down, her leg sticking out in front of her awkwardly. “I can treat your wound,” Twigpaw mewed, pointing at it with her nose. Firefern’s ears flattened and she tucked it under her chest. “It looks like it might be getting infected. It would be best to treat it now.”

Firefern’s tail flicked. “Do you know enough about herbs?”

Twigpaw’s eyes lit up and she puffed up her chest. “I do. My da—” She cringed at her mistake. Firefern might take it the wrong way if she called a medicine cat her father. “My close friend is a medicine cat.”

Firefern nodded. “Very well,” she meowed. “I didn’t have time to treat it on my own. I’ll be grateful if you helped.” Her eyes softened. “But we should wait until the morning to look for herbs, it’s much too dark now.”

Twigpaw nodded, excitement prickling at her paws. In the morning, she could show Firefern how special she was.  _ I can prove myself to the SkyClan _ deputy _. This is my first step to getting closer to my kin. _

\--------

Twigpaw’s head perked up when she saw something in the distance. Three days had passed since they met Firefern, Bellaleaf, and Twinepaw, and since then, Twigpaw had treated Firefern’s wound with goldenrod. Firefern thanked her, saying she should have treated it sooner. Twigpaw knew that someday in the future, Firefern could be her deputy.

“That’s it!” Bellaleaf meowed, rushing forward. “That’s the barn where SkyClan is. We’re almost there.”

Honeyspots let out a sigh of relief. “Thank StarClan,” she murmured. “I don’t think I could handle another day of this.” Sparkstorm nudged her, her eyes sparkling.

“Come on!” Twigpaw called, rushing forward as fast as she could while limping. Her heart lifted as she approached the barn.  _ This could be it. I could meet my kin today. My  _ true _ kin! _ She didn’t wait for the other warriors as they called for her to stop, it was like her paws had a mind of their own.

Twigpaw skidded to a halt when a pale ginger cat with darker ginger paws, nose, and tail padded out of the barn. His eyes narrowed when he saw her and he unsheathed his claws. “Who are you?” he asked, a hiss edging his meow. Then his ears perked when he noticed his Clanmates behind Twigpaw. “Leafstar!” He turned back into the barn. “Firefern is back!”

The other warriors caught up with Twigpaw, Rosepetal giving her a stern look but unable to say anything when a brown-and-cream tabby came rushing from the barn and up to Firefern. Her eyes were wide as Firefern approached her. “Thank the stars you’re safe,” the cat murmured and nuzzled Firefern. Then she saw the ThunderClan cats. “Who is this?”

Rosepetal stepped forward, dipping her head to the brown-and-cream tabby. “We are ThunderClan warriors,” the cream warrior explained, introducing each of them. “We’ve come to find you. Our medicine cat and a few of us tried to find you many moons ago, but—”

The she-cat’s eyes darkened. “They found Darktail instead, didn’t they?”

Rosepetal shared an uncomfortable glance with Toadstep before nodding. Firefern stepped forward. “These cats might be our only hope to find the lake, Leafstar,” she meowed. “Sparkstorm is Firestar’s granddaughter.” Sparkstorm shuffled as Leafstar glanced at her in surprise. “She could be part of the prophecy Echosong told us long ago.” She cringed, lowering her head. “We . . . We lost Stormheart to a few Twolegs and fell behind while trying to process it.”

Leafstar’s eyes rounded. “Is she still alive?” Her voice shook.

“Yes,” Bellaleaf meowed, pressing against Firefern. “She was only captured by them. We thought about going to find her, but decided against it.”

Leafstar closed her eyes for a few heartbeats before letting out a breath and flicking her tail. “Come in,” she meowed. “The hunting patrols came back. We have enough prey to feed all of you. And Twinepaw—” the apprentice lifted his head, eyes wide, “—your mother wants to speak with you.”

Twigpaw watched Twinepaw’s tail lower as he stalked into the barn. She followed Leafstar and Firefern in, her Clanmates close behind. She suppressed a gasp when she saw all the cats.  _ There’s so many. I didn’t think there would be after Darktail took over. _ A ginger tabby she-cat, presumably his mother, greeted him and nuzzled him, looking glad to see him.  _ Is she my kin? _ Twigpaw wondered. No, Alderheart said he saw a tom who looked like her and Violetpaw.

Her ears perked as Leafstar spoke. “Hawkwing did a good job as deputy while you were away,” she meowed to Firefern, nodding in another direction. “He’s a good warrior. Maybe it’s time for him to get another apprentice.” Twigpaw glanced in the direction she pointed in. Her heart lifted when she saw him: a gray tabby tom with yellow eyes, the exact shade of Violetpaw’s. He was short, unlike Twigpaw but much like Violetpaw, and the gray in his pelt matched her’s perfect. Twigpaw took in a sharp breath when his eyes lay on her. They grew wide as if he saw a ghost.

Leafstar leaped up onto a pile of hay, calling her Clan together. “All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather around me for a Clan meeting!” Her voice rang loud in the barn, echoing around her.

The SkyClan cats formed a circle around their leader, murmuring when they saw the ThunderClan warriors. The ginger tom Twigpaw had seen at the entrance of the barn gave them skeptical looks while the gray tom, Hawkwing, sat beside him and nudged him. Another gray she-cat lay down beside them, tucking her paws under her chest as she looked up at Leafstar.

Leafstar waited for all her warriors to join when she began. “Today, my daughter and our deputy returned from her journey to find the lake. Unfortunately, she didn’t find the other Clans, but she believes she may have found something better.” She blinked at the ThunderClan cats and Twigpaw puffed up her chest. “These are Rosepetal, Ambersky, Honeyspots, Toadstep, Twigpaw, and Sparkstorm of ThunderClan.” Gasps arose from the SkyClan, then excited murmurs and shouts.

“ThunderClan cats?” a small ginger apprentice called. “Are they going to take us to the lake?”

“How did they get here?” a calico warrior asked, her green eyes round.

Sparkstorm got to her paws, glancing at Leafstar for permission, before meowing, “Our apprentice, Twigpaw, was the one who wanted to find you so bad. She led us halfway here.” Twigpaw licked her chest in embarrassment as all eyes turned on her. “My brother and medicine cat, Alderheart, had a dream about you here at the barn, and he knew he had to send a patrol to find you.” Twigpaw gave her a sideways glance as the warrior failed to mention that Bramblestar wouldn’t send out a patrol at first. “We can take you back to the lake, but it won’t be that easy . . .” She trailed off, sharing a glance with Rosepetal.

Ambersky stepped forward. “Darktail is by the lake,” she meowed.

The Clan went silent.

Sparkstorm went on: “Moons ago, my brother and I went to find SkyClan, but found Darktail instead,” she meowed. She blinked at Twigpaw. “On our way home, Alderehart and our friend, Needletail, found Twigkit and Violetkit under a Thunderpath. We took them home.”

The gray she-cat beside Hawkwing looked sympathetic. “Who would leave their kit under a Thunderpath?”

“I don’t think she  _ meant _ to,” Twigpaw spoke up. She glanced at Hawkwing, who was staring at her with the same intensity. “I think— _ we _ think she may have been a SkyClan cat."

His eyes lit up. “Pebblestorm!” he meowed, glancing at Leafstar with unmasked excitement. “That cat, the cat who left you under the Thunderpath. That has to be Pebblestorm. She was my mate. You look so much like her, it  _ has  _ to be her. Twigpaw. I’m your father.”

Twigpaw’s heart felt as if it was going to burst. She felt the urge to rush up to Hawkwing and bowl herself into him. He was just as she imagined. But she held herself back, basking in the excited murmurs and stares of her kin.

Leafstar looked thoughtful. “If Darktail is by the lake, do you think it would be wise to go there now?” she asked Firefern.

Firefern glanced at Twigpaw, then Hawkwing. “Mother, we’ve been looking for the other Clans for  _ seasons _ now,” she meowed. “We must go to the lake and help these cats get rid of Darktail. For the sake of every cat he took from us.”

Leafstar blinked at her daughter. “Very well,” she meowed. “Cats of SkyClan, today we will follow these ThunderClan warriors to the lake, and we will help them defeat the evil rogues who took our territory!”

Most of the SkyClan cats yowled in agreement, some giving each other worried glances. Twigpaw paid no mind to them. Soon, her kin would be by the lake.  _ Maybe Hawkwing and I can finally be a family together. _


	31. Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uploading a week early just cause :).

The sun was setting as Violetpaw led her hunting patrol into the rogue camp. The rest of the patrol—Loki, Flame, and Yarrowleaf—dropped their prey on the fresh-kill pile, grabbed some for themselves, and padded off to eat.

Left to herself, Violetpaw chose several of the best pieces of prey and carried them to a dip in the ground not far from Darktail’s den. The shadow of an elder bush sheltered her from the rest of the Kin.

Violetpaw had already hidden the leaf wrap of poppy seeds among the root of the bush. It had been a few days since Alderheart told her of her plan, and now it was finally time to go through it. Now she drew it out carefully and counted out four seeds for each piece of prey before she pushed them inside the fresh-kill.

_ Darktail and his friends will  _ really _ enjoy this, _ she thought grimly. Even though her heart was pounding hard at the risk she was taking, she took a kind of joy in the thought that she was playing such an important part in defeating the rogues.

As she padded to Darktail’s den, she caught Needletail’s silver pelt across the way. After Violetpaw ran into her while she was leaving the camp a few days before, Needletail came back to camp a while later, her pelt wet scratches all over. Violetpaw shuddered. She had asked her friend what happened, and Needletail only said they got in a fight with an outsider, but Violetpaw knew.  _ She had to kill Rain. _ Needletail’s hollow eyes told her that much.

Now, Needletail’s pelt was thin once more, just as it had been in the RiverClan prison. Her bold green eyes were now dull. Violetpaw felt a pang in her heart as she waved her tail to her friend, and Needletail smiled and waved back. Violetpaw tried to find Witch’s brown-and-golden pelt in the fray of cats but didn’t see them. She gripped at the prey tighter, her heart racing. She hoped her friend was just out hunting.

Darktail’s den was beneath a jutting rock, screened by overhanging fronds of fern. When Violetpaw was sure all his poppy seeds were well concealed, she padded up to the entrance, trying not to let her legs shake with apprehension.

“Darktail!” she called out. “The hunting patrol is back, and I’ve picked out some of the best prey for you.”

The fern fronds shook as the black-and-white tom brushed past them into the open. “Good,” he meowed, swiping his tongue around his jaws. “I’m starving!”

“So am I.”

The voice came behind Violetpaw; she spun around, her belly lurching as if she had swallowed crowfood. Sleekwhisker was standing a fox-length away. Her tortoiseshell pelt gleaming in the last light of the sun.

_ How long has she been there? _ Violetpaw asked herself, fighting against panic.  _ Did she see what I did to the prey? _

Then Vioeltpaw forced herself to stay calm, telling herself that if Sleekwhisker had spotted her, she would surely have asked what she was doing.

_ I know she’s desperate to catch me doing something wrong because she can’t stand it that Darktail likes me better than her. So, if she hasn't said anything, she couldn’t have seen me . . . I hope. _

“The prey is over there,” Violetpaw waved her tail in the direction of the elder bush. “Should I fetch it for you, Darktail?”

“No, we can eat over there,” Darktail replied. Glancing around, he beckoned with his tail to the closest of his followers, who stretched out together in a patch of sunlight. “Raven! Roach! Flame! Come over here! It’s time to eat.”

As the rogues and Sleekwhisker padded over to the prey pile, Violetpaw dipped her head to Darktail. “I’ll just go and get some sleep,” she mewed.

Darktail twitched his whiskers. “Don’t you want to eat with us?” he asked.

“No thanks, Darktail. I had a mouse while I was out,” Violetpaw replied, thankful for once that the rogues didn’t follow the warrior code, so no cat would be surprised that she had eaten before she brought food back for the Kin.

For a moment, Darktail looked concerned.  _ Oh, StarClan!  _ Violetpaw thought, her muscles tensing.  _ Don’t let him order me to share the prey! _

Then Darktail gave her a brusque nod. “Suit yourself,” he responded with a shrug and padded off to join his Kin around the prey pile.

Trying not to let her relief show, Violetpaw slipped away to the new den she had made for herself among some of the reeds at the edge of the stream. She would have liked to spend time with Witch to calm her nerves, but the cat was nowhere to be seen.  _ That went well, _ she congratulated herself.  _ Now I just have to sit and wait. _

Violetpaw lay curled up in her den until night had fallen and the noises outside in the camp had faded into quiet. Expecting that every cat would be asleep, she slid out of her den, shook some scraps out of her pelt, and arched her back in a good long stretch. Then, her ears pricked in alertness, she headed across the camp to Darkail’s den.

_ They should be in a really  _ deep _ sleep, _ she told herself with satisfaction.  _ Along with the other mange-pelts he calls his Kin. Then the Clans and I can put our plan into action. _

As Violetpaw approached the den, she saw a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye. Her ears perked when she saw Needletail slip out of the shadows. “Violetpaw,” she meowed, flicking her tail to her. “Come here, come with me.”

“What?” Violetpaw blinked, shocked. “Needletail, what’s going on?”  _ I need to wait for Alderheart and help the prisoners escape. What happens if I’m gone when the other Clans get here? _

Needletail led her to the RiverClan dirtplace tunnel and slipped through, running over to the stream that bordered the camp island. “I’m getting us out of here,” Needletail meowed. “I saw what you did with the prey, and I know that Sleekwhisker did too. We have to get out of here, now.”

Violetpaw’s heart stopped. Sleekwhisker  _ did _ see? What was she going to do? What was  _ Darktail _ going to do? She followed Needletail through the stream and followed her toward the WindClan moors. Why would she want to go there? “We’re—we’re leaving? What if Darktail finds us?”

“We just have to be quick.”

Violetpaw’s thoughts were whirling. She thought Needletail was loyal to the Kin and Darktail. Had she changed her mind? _Didn’t she kill Rain for him, just recently?_ _Why is she leaving now, when she’s on his good side?_

“Where are we going?”

Needletail’s eyes rounded. “To an old friend.”

\-------

Needletail’s paws prickled anxiously as she led Violetpaw to the forest. She knew this was risky. She knew that she and Violetpaw. Darktail could kill them both easily, on his own if he wanted. Needletail wasn’t strong enough to take him down and he knew it.

They passed the Horseplace. Soon, they’d be in WindClan and they had a chance of begging a WindClan patrol to hide them if they didn’t have the energy to make it to ThunderClan territory. Needletail’s ears perked when she heard yowling behind her. “We have to hurry!” she hissed to Violetpaw, breaking into a run. Violetpaw was close on her tail.

Needletail panted, her heart racing as she ran. If she could, she would put Violetpaw on her back like she did when she was a kit. She couldn’t run any faster, her legs were beginning to burn, and she could hear Violetpaw's panting loud and clear behind her. If they could just make it to the forest, they might be able to lose Darktail and his rogues among the trees.

She looked behind her to see the rogue leader hot on their trail with Sleekwhisker, Flame, Roach, and Raven. Needletail growled. “Keep going to the forest!” she told Violetpaw, slowing herself until Violetpaw was right beside her.  _ I can’t let her out of my sight. We need to make it to ThunderClan territory. _ She glanced over her shoulder again. They’d put some distance between themselves and the rogues. She scanned the moor for any sign of cover. Her ears perked when she saw the opening of a tunnel. She’d heard about the tunnels that ran under WindClan and ThunderClan territory, she was even sure there were some under ShadowClan land.

She nudged Violetpaw in the direction of the opening and flicked her nose to it. Understanding, Violetpaw ran over and squeezed through the entrance. Without looking over her shoulder, Needletail dove in and was plunged into darkness. Anxiety sparked through her when she thought she lost Violetpaw, but she relaxed when she felt her fluffy tail brush against her whiskers. “Keep moving,” Needletail hissed. Violetpaw did as she was told.

The tunnel began to open up, enough for Violetpaw and Needletail to stand side by side. Needletail pressed against her apprentice friend. “Violetpaw, if I’m caught, keep running okay? Don't even look back."

Violetpaw’s yellow eyes were barely visible in the dark, but Needletail could almost see them round. “I can’t leave you behind,” she murmured, her voice cracking. “Not again, I—”

“Hush,” Needletail chased. “I—Just—” She huffed. This wasn’t time for a heartfelt talk, they were running for their lives. “Don’t be a hero, okay, toadbrain? You think about other cats too much, think about yourself for once. Be selfish. I can’t be the reason—” The words caught in her throat. “I can’t be the reason you get hurt.”

Violetpaw nuzzled her friend. Needletail jumped when she heard pawsteps behind them. She flicked her tail over Violetpaw’s mouth, telling her to be silent. They stood in the quiet for a while, not even breathing and hoping the rogues wouldn’t go as deep as they did, praying that they lost them. Then there was a yowl and Needletail was bowled over by a muscular body, rolling her to the ground. Screaming, Needletail dug her teeth into the cat’s shoulder, recognizing the scent of Sleekwhisker.

Sleekwhisker hissed and grabbed Needletail’s scruff, dragging her through the tunnel. Needletail flinched, gritting her teeth as sharp rocks dug into her pelt and scraped against her skin. As they broke through the entrance of the tunnel, Needletail’s heart snake when she saw Flame dragging Violetpaw out as well. “Let us go!” Needletail hissed, thrashing and flailing in Sleekwhisker’s grip. She was too tired from running, there was no point.

Darktail stepped forward, his eyes gleaming like ice in sunlight. Needletail saw his fur bristling along his spine, making him look even bigger than he was already. “I knew one day that you would betray me, Needletail,” he snarled, glaring at the silver she-cat, a growl rumbling in his throat. “You were the first cat to join me, yet I knew the moment Rain betrayed me that you’d do so as well. But Violetpaw—” the apprentice flinched as his furious glare turned on her, “—I never expected you of all cats to go along with her. I thought you were loyal to me. I thought maybe you were like me.” Violetpaw opened her jaws to defend herself, but he snapped at her. “Save it! Was the little poppy seeds in my prey trick her idea as well?”

Violetpaw was visibly shaking as Darktail brought up her plan. Needletail stared at her. “No,” Violetpaw meowed, her voice cracking. “No, no, she—she had nothing to do with it. I’m at fault, please, take this out on me, be mad at me, just don’t hurt Needletail!"

Darktail twitched his whisker thoughtfully. Needletail glanced around wildly, looking for a chance of escape. But it was no use; they were surrounded by rogues. Darktail glared at Needletail. “I’m afraid that Needletail has hurt me more than you have, Violetpaw,” he meowed, his eyes narrowing. “In not killing Rain, you put my life at stake.” Violetpaw’s ears perked and Needletail growled under her breath.  _ Sleekwhisker told him, of course. _ A twisted grin etched its way onto his face. “I know the perfect punishment for both of you.”

He flicked his tail to Sleekwhisker and she grabbed Needletail and dragged her to the lake. Violetpaw yowled, her eyes wide with fear. Flame held her down, still grabbing her scruff. Needletail tensed as the water washed her pelt.

Terror welled up inside her like dark floodwater.  _ They’re going to do to me what I did to Sparrowtail. _ She wanted to wail like a kit.

Sleekwhisker and Darktail dropped Needletail with the least bit of grace into the water, and she dragged herself up, panting. Darktail stared at Violetpaw, his eyes shining. “Why do you look so scared, little flower?” he asked the apprentice. “You have nothing to worry about. Your good friend Needletail will take your punishment for you.”

Without warning, Darktail leaped on Needletail. She cried out under his weight, his claws digging into her. Water washed her pelt as he dragged her backward into a deeper part of the lake. The water washed Darktail’s belly. Needletail flailed her paws, striking at Darktail with weak paws, fear overwhelming her as the water rose around her. He let go and she staggered to her paws. 

She screeched when Darktail shoved her under the water, bubbles rising from her mouth. Water filled her mouth and nose and ears, and she screamed. She flailed her paws. Her lungs ached for air.  _ No. _ She choked in water and it filled her lungs. The water churned around her, and she could see Darktai’s blazing eyes as he held her down. She glanced up at the stars.  _ I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Please, this can’t be it, please,  _ please _! _

Her head broke the surface for just a moment and she coughed up water, choking in air. She glimpsed Sleekwhisker bounding toward her, and heard Violetpaw’s screaming. Sleekwhisker put her paws on her chest and pressed her down harder into the lake. Needletail spasmed, the world going black for a moment.

She heard Violetpaw’s voice. “Please stop!” the black-and-white apprentice yowled, the water in Needletail’s ears muffling her voice. “Please—please! Stop it!”

Needletail stared at the stars. They were sparkling coldly. Would she make it to StarClan? Where would she go if she didn’t? “Punish me instead!” Violetpaw begged Darktail, her voice desperate.  _ Violetpaw,  _ Needletail wanted to cry.  _ Stop it, you little toadbrain!  _ Her head was fuzzy.  _ Always trying to help me, putting her own life in danger . . . she's so devoted to me . . . _ “Please, I admit it! I tried to put you to sleep! I admit it, so please stop!”

Needletail jerked when Darktail loosened his grip. Sleekwhisker did as well, stepping back. The silver she-cat broke the surface again and got to her paws, shaking. Water poured from her mouth, and she coughed it up, ready to vomit. Her chest heaved as she fought for breath.

“Why did you do it?” Darktail asked Violetpaw slowly. Needletail stared at her apprentice friend. She was so small. She wouldn’t stand a chance against these cats.  _ What are you doing? _

“I wanted to sneak out the prisoners,” Violetpaw confessed. Needletail could see her eyes wide with desperation. It was as if she was wishing to be punished.  _ She cares about me so much doesn’t she? _ “It was all me, though. I put poppy seeds in the prey so you and your Kin could eat them. Needletail had nothing to do with it! She didn't even know what I was up to!”

Darktail let out a  _ mrrow _ of mockery. “Is that true?”

Violetpaw nodded vigorously. “It is, I promise!”

Needletail took one last breath before Sleekwhisker and Darktail shoved her back down. This time, she didn’t fight. Sleekwhisker’s green eyes were staring down at her. There was no emotion there. This wasn’t the cat Needletail knew. Needletail could barely even pay attention to what Violetpaw and Darktail were saying. “Killing Needletail is better punishment than if I killed you,” she heard Darktail meow. “You’re so attached to this treacherous cat, you’re more afraid of her death than your own. I want you to know what it’s like to live with the pain and grief of losing the cat who befriended you and took care of you.”

“Oh please . . . Please, no, please, please!”

“I can’t believe I once thought you and Needletail would be my loyal Kin,” Darktail mewed bitterly.  _ I can’t believe it either. _ “Needletail was the first Clan cat who gave me any notice. I thought she would help me build something here. But then she got involved with that traitor, Rain—and it’s clear to me that you, Violetpaw, are just as disloyal.

Needletail lay her head back, closing her eyes. The water fell still around her.  _ I’m just like Rain, aren’t I? I left every cat I loved. But she was better than me. I followed this disgusting tyrant. _ She felt calm.  _ Will I meet Rain in StarClan? Or wherever I go? _ She remembered when she first brought Violetpaw home. The little kit was shivering in her jaws as she carried her to camp. But Pinenose treated her well, didn’t she? And ShadowClan grew to love her, no matter what Russetstar and Rowanclaw thought.  _ I dragged her into this mess. I’m so sorry, Violetpaw. _

“Maybe you’re right, Violetpaw.” Needletail’s ears perked at that. “Maybe I should give Needletail another chance.”

_ What? _

“Oh, yes!” Violetpaw’s voice was laced with relief. “Please, give her another chance. I’ll do anything you want!”

Darktail took a pace back, taking his paws Needletail, and so did Sleekwhisker. Needletail got to her paws again. Her pelt clung to her. She hated being wet. She hated water. Somehow, this reminded her of when she and Alderpaw fell into the river, not long before they found Twigkit and Violetkit. She missed those days on the quest with an ache. Her stomach lurched and she vomited water, her paws shaking. She took in wheezing breaths. She stared at Violetpaw, her chest heaving. Violetpaw looked relieved, her eyes glassy with emotion.

“Needletail, we have all agreed to give you another chance,” Darktail meowed. Needletail nodded to him, unable to say anything. “After all, it’s not really fair to punish  _ you _ for Violetpaw’s traitorous act. And this will be a great way to prove your loyalty to me after you didn’t kill Rain.”

Needletail didn’t respond. She couldn’t feel relieved. Apprehension clung to her like the water on her pelt. It made anxiety churn in her stomach; Darktail’s voice was too soft, too kind. She didn’t trust him.

“I’ll be happy to spare your life, Needletail if you’ll do something for me.’”

“What?” Needletail rasped. Her throat ached. Everything ached.

“If you kill Violetpaw yourself.”

Needletail’s blood ran cold. She stared at Violetpaw with narrow eyes, slits. Violetpaw was shivering and she backed away. Darktail and Sleekwhisker backed off. Needletail didn’t move her gaze from Violetpaw. The apprentice was horrified, her jaws gaping. Every last part of Needletail was shaking.

“Bring her to me.”

She summoned every bit of strength in herself.  _ I’m sorry, Violetpaw. _

Roach and Raven grabbed Violetpaw and shoved her toward Needletail until Violetpaw was barely a whisker away from Needletail. Needletail could smell from here, so lovely, so sweet, like violets, just like the violets she had smelled in her nest moons ago.  _ I’m so sorry. _

She could almost read Violetpaw’s mind. Violetpaw knew that Needletail was going to kill her.

Violetpaw screamed when Needletail pounced. Needletail landed on top of Violetpaw, her claws sheathing. Needletail leaned close, rage rushing through her.

“Run.”

Needletail screeched and swiveled around. She propelled herself at Roach and Raven, her claws outstretched, teeth bared. The rogues were taken aback, staggering back, not even trying to defend themselves. She swiped at Roach, catching them with her claws and leaving a deep scratch on his shoulder.

“Run!  _ Now,  _ you big toadbrain!” Needletail screeched at Violetpaw. “Make this count, Violetpaw!"

Needletail heart raced as Darktail and Sleekwhisker began to splash toward her. She glanced one last time at Violetpaw, who looked stunned.  _ Run, run! Get out! _ "I'll be right behind you, I promise!" She struck Sleekwhisker, before leaping on top of her and pinning her. Violetpaw hesitated, but nodded, turned tail, and ran.

She saw Raven running after Violetpaw, but she couldn’t chase after the rogue. Darktail and Roach had her surrounded. Darktail snarled. “You idiot!” he screeched. “This will be the last time you betray me!”

Darktail launched himself at his former Kin. Needletail yowled, lashing out at him. She battered at his belly, but it wasn’t enough. She was too weak. She panted as she continued to fight Darktail with all her might.  _ I need to do this. For Violetpaw! I can’t fail her. I can’t leave her! Not again! _

She yowled and spat and scratched, but it wasn’t enough. All three remaining cats grabbed her and shoved her underwater. She closed her eyes.  _ This is it. _ She let out a scream of defiance and flailed, her muzzle breaking the water a few times so she could gulp in desperate breaths, only to be shoved back in.  _ I’m so sorry, Violetpaw. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it. _

She stared at the sky. Soon, she’d be dead.  _ This is it. Goodbye, Violetpaw. Goodbye Alderheart, Sparkstorm, and Rain. I love you. _

She gasped when she saw a flash of gray tortoiseshell. The cat bowled into Darktail and Needletail was able to stand, shaking. The world was blurry. She saw two white cats, a torbie cat, the gray tortoiseshell, and a brown tabby fighting the Kin rogues. The gray tortoiseshell was so familiar. "D-" she coughed, her meow rasping "-Dawnpelt?" The silver she-cat staggered and fell into the water again. She heard her name being called. But it wasn't right.


	32. Chapter Thirty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last ten chapters he we fuckin GOOO

Alderheart’s pads prickled with anxiety, his heart thumping in his chest as he padded along the lake, a leaf wrap of herbs in his jaws. He was bringing up the rear of the group of cats who had been chosen to attack the rogues in RiverClan territory. Bramblestar was in the lead, with Russetstar and Mistystar, followed by many of Alderheart’s Clanmates, RiverClan cats, and the small amount of ShadowClan warriors. Bramblestar had decided there was no point in asking Mudstar to join.

_ I hope Violetpaw managed to sneak those poppy seeds into prey for Darktail and his Kin. _

Before they’d left camp, Bramblestar had called out to Alderheart and beckoned him over. “I want you to come with us,” he meowed. “We don’t know what shape the prisoners will be in, and we’ll need to get them to safety quickly. And if the rogues fight back, things become much more complicated. We’ll need to hold them off long enough to get the prisoners away.” He sighed. “I’ll feel much better if we have a medicine cat close by.”

Alderheart had nodded, hiding the fact that his heart was swelling with pride. His father had chosen  _ him _ out of the many older, more experienced medicine cats in the Clan. “I’m happy to come with you,” he’d agreed. “I’ll get some herbs ready.”

“Good.” Bramblestar had blinked in satisfaction. “We leave at sunrise.”

The last streaks of scarlet had faded from the sky by the time the cats reached the halfbridge that separated ShadowClan territory from RiverClan. No cat wanted to risk going through WindClan territory and having a patrol send them back for having ShadowClan cats with them. Still, Alderheart wondered if Sedgewhisker would have been able to persuade Mudstar to join them. But there was no telling Russetstar to travel through the spiteful tom’s territory. They slipped across the hard surface, silent as moving shadows, and crept into the hiding in the bushes on the far side, well out of scent-range of the rogues’ camp.

“Right,” Bramblestar mewed when every cat was crouched around him; his deep amber eyes glowed in near darkness. “Remember, as much as we want Darktail’s group out, our goal tonight is to free the prisoners.”

“And any ShadowClan warriors who are regretting the choice they made to stay with Darktail,” Rowanclaw spoke up. Russetstar muttered something under her breath but didn’t object to her deputy’s word, her eyes narrow.

Bramblestar dipped his head; if he had noticed the ShadowClan’s anger, he gave no sign of it. “Of course,” he responded. “The point is, we have come to bring all those cats to the safety of ThunderClan camp. Don’t get distracted by the fighting; it’s a means to an end. We’ll deal with Darktail later. It’s a long walk back through ShadowClan territory, so every cat will need their full strength.”

“Curse Mudstar for being so stubborn,” Tawnypelt hissed, her eyes narrow. “If he just helped, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“At least he’s keeping some of us in his camp,” Meadowpelt of RiverClan spoke up, her eyes round. “We’ve been treated well, despite how Mudstar has felt about us.” A few more RiverClan cats murmured in agreement.

But the other warriors just huffed and muttered to themselves, eyes narrow.

“There’s no point in being angry,” Mistystar meowed, twitching her whiskers. “We’re wasting time.”

“Besides,” Bramblestar added, “it’s not much farther to ThunderClan. And whichever direction we go, we will have to cross a stream.”

“I suppose,” Tawnypelt sighed, but her tail lashed as her brother gave her a look.

“So,” Bramblestar continued briskly, “we only fight if the rogues resist. I’m hoping that the ShadowClan warriors will join us, and without Darktail and his most loyal fighters, the rogues will be outnumbered.”

There was a snort of amusement from Hollytuft. “Wouldn’t that be lovely,” she commented. “But things haven’t exactly gone the easy way since Darktail showed up.”

Alderheart agreed with the older warriors. Everything he had heard about Darktail—everything he had  _ seen _ for himself—told him that the rogue leader and his Kin were relentless.  _ We might pull this off, _ he told himself,  _ but it won’t be easy. _ He wished Puddleshine were with him now. He always knew what to say, he’d press against Alderheart and tell him everything would be okay, and the soothing scents of his pelt would calm Alderheart’s thrumming heart.

The only thing he was looking forward to was seeing Needletail again.  _ I hope she’s coping well. _

“Any questions?” Bramblestar asked, rising to his paws, ready to lead his cats into enemy territory.

Before any cat could reply, a fierce commotion ripped through the night air. Alderheart could hear yowls, shrieks, and hisses as if a fight had suddenly broken out. Angling his ears, he could tell that it was coming from the direction of the RiverClan camp.

All the cats sprang up, exchanging startled glances, their neck fur beginning to rise.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Lionblaze meowed.

“They shouldn’t be fighting yet,” Goldenheart meowed. “They were supposed to wait for our move. Something’s gone wrong!”

Bramblestar flattened his ears and let out a growl. “Then we need to go!”

Plunging out of the bushes, the attacking cats raced along the lakeshore, then veered inland toward the RiverClan camp, the RiverClan warriors leading them there. Alderheart grabbed his leaf wrap of herbs and followed.

The cats splashed through the stream that bordered the camp and thrust their way through the fringe of reeds at the water’s edge. Scrambling up the slope, Alderheart spotted the five RiverClan prisoners locked in furious combat with some of Darktail’s rogues. A golden-and-brown tabby was fighting alongside them, their face twisted with fury.

_ They’ve risen up! _ He thought, his heart pounding with excitement.  _ They weren’t meant to fight before we got here—but maybe they’re stronger than we thought! _ Then he looked closer and realized that one particular cat was missing from the fight.  _ Wait—where’s Violetpaw? _

He felt a prickle of unease beneath his pelt.

The prisoners were fighting hard, though. They looked desperately skinny and frail, but their eyes glared and their fur was bristling; all the rage against the rogues was pouring out in well-trained battle moves. With a fearsome yowl, the rest of the Clan cats hurled themselves to fight by their side.

As Alderheart hovered at the edge of the fray, ready to drag out any cat too badly wounded to go on fighting, he was pleased to see that Darktail’s forces seemed smaller—just as they’d planned. But then he spotted Flame and one or two others of Darktail’s closest Kin, and his excitement ebbed away, to be replaced by bewilderment.

_ Why are they away? _ He asked himself.  _ They were supposed to get poppy seeds. But Darktail is missing. And so is Violetpaw. _

Had her attempt to drug the cats failed? He searched the screeching crowd of battling cats but he couldn’t see the young she-cat anywhere. Needletail was missing, too—wasn’t she with the prisoners?  _ Darktail must have taken them somewhere. _ Fear weighed Alderheart’s belly down like a heavy stone.  _ Does that mean . . . ? _ He felt a tremble as he wondered what would happen if Darktail had caught Violetpaw trying to sneak the poppy seeds into his food. But he forced himself not to shake with fear.  _ No—I won’t believe it. I’ve lost Twigpaw. I can’t bear to lose Violetpaw as well! _

A heartbeat later, Roach and Sleekwhisker appeared outside the camp and flung themselves into the battle with shrieks of fury. More of the former ShadowClan cats had joined in the fight, too, but Alderheart noticed they were fighting on the side of the prisoners and the other Clan cats. He spotted Grassheart and Mistcloud battling one of the rogues. And he noticed their medicine cat, Slit, hovering anxiously for any wounded cats to come to her.

_ The rogues are outnumbered,  _ Alderheart thought, his heart racing again.  _ We’re going to win! _

Already, the battle was beginning to wane, some of the rogues breaking away and fleeing out of the camp. But Roach, Sleekwhisker, and Flame kept on fighting furiously, a few ShadowClan warriors, Yarrowleaf, Slateclaw, and Spikefur, by Sleekwhisker’s side, and then, at last, Darktail appeared, racing up from the direction of the lake.

Alderheart stared at him incredulously. Deep scratches furrowed Darktai’s fur, and his white pelt was heavy with water and dotted with blood. He had a bad scratch on his nose, reaching deep, sure to leave a scar.

_ What in the name of StarClan happened to him? _

As soon as Darktail appeared, several Clan cats broke away from the main battle to pile on top of the rogue leader, striking out with teeth and claws. For a few moments, Darktail struck back, but he was too badly outnumbered, and already injured enough. Struggling free, he yowled, “Kin! Retreat!” and fled out of the camp in the direction of the border with ShadowClan.

His Kin streamed after him. Bramblestar followed at the head of his Clan cats, only to halt at the edge of the camp.

“Let them go,” he panted. “They won’t be back in a hurry.”

“No! Those maggot-ridden excuses will be infesting  _ my _ territory,” Russetstar snarled, her eyes blazing with fury. “We should chase them! We have to. We need to get rid of them once and for all.” A few of her warriors yowled in agreement, along with some ThunderClan and RiverClan warriors.

“No!” Mistcloud rushed up to her leader, eyes wide. “There are more rogues in ShadowClan camp. We’re injured, Russetstar, we need to let them go.”

Russetstar snarled and turned on him, unsheathing her claws. “Why should I believe  _ you _ ?” she growled.

Mistcloud stepped back. “We wanted to leave,” she meowed, keeping her head high. “But Darktail wouldn’t let us.”

“Mousehearts!” Russetstar snorted. Her fur was bristling, eyes wild.

“I’m starting to see why we left again!” Mistcloud countered, an angry spark in her blue and green eyes.

“Enough!” Tawnypelt rushed and stood in front of her leader, blocking her from Mistcloud. “These cats have had to suffer under Darktail’s rule for many moons. We should be thanking them for their help in battle. We all know what Darktail and his Kin are like. We should be thankful that these cats are  _ alive _ .”

Russetstar’s tail twitched as if she was thinking over her senior warrior’s words, but then she huffed and turned her back on Tawnypelt. “Fine,” she snarled. “You can come back if you please.”

“Thank you Russetstar!” Grassheart sighed, her bristling fur calming.

Mistcloud stared at her leader with cold eyes, but she nodded. “We won’t question your judgment again, Russetstar.”

Alderheart watched with satisfaction as the returning warriors gathered around Tawnypelt, then turned to examine the RiverClan prisoners. All five of them lay on the ground, their chests heaving and their paws limp with exhaustion. Alderheart was surprised they had been able to fight so bravely.

Mistystar rushed over to Alderheart, eyes wide with anxiety. “Are they badly hurt?” she asked.

It was her deputy, Duskfur, who replied. “We’re fine,” she croaked, managing to raise her head a little. “That was the best thing we’ve ever done, sinking our claws into those mangepelts.”

Looking more closely at each of the RiverClan warriors in turn, Alderheart was relieved to see that none of their injuries were serious. One of Duskfur’s ears was bleeding, Brackenfur and Petalfur were both missing small clumps of fur, and Curlfeather and Jayclaw both had a small number of wounds, bleeding from their shoulders and flanks.

“They’ll be okay,” Alderheart reassured Mistystar. “We’ll get those scratches cleaned up and then put a poultice of marigold.”

“But what happened?” The voice was Bramblestar’s he came padding up with Squirrelflight, Stirkestone, and a tall, strange-looking golden-and-brown tabby, who was a stranger to Alderheart. They had a few scratches on their face.

“It looked like Violetpaw had planned to put Darktail and his closest Kin to sleep with poppy seeds,” Mistcloud spoke up. “But I guess you know all about that. Anyway, her plan didn’t work. Darktail got wind of it somehow. He came storming into the warriors’ den, asking where Needletail was.”

“We had no idea where she was going,” Grassheart continued, her eyes wide with horror, “but she’d left, I saw her running away with Violetpaw. Him and his rogues, and Sleekwhisker, ran after them. I . . . don’t know what happened after that.” She lowered her head.

Cold dread began to gather in Alderheart’s belly. He wanted to race off right away and looked for his friends, but he knew he had duties here.

“I heard him,” Grassheart went on, “I heard him saying that Needletail and Violetpaw betrayed them. After that, Mistcloud and I went to the prisoners and told them it was time to fight. Witch joined us.” She nodded to the young tabby, who dipped her head to the warriors. “And so did most of the ShadowClan cats. Then you arrived,” she finished with a nod to Bramblestar. “I have never been so glad to see any cats in all my life.”

“Thank you,” Brackenfur added. “Thanks to you, we’ve driven Darktail and his rogues out of our territory!”

Alderheart admired the courage of the RiverClan cats, but he felt like he was choking on worry for Violetpaw and Needletail.  _ Darktail was covered with scratches. He had blood on his pelt. Was that his blood or . . . _ he shuddered,  _ someone else’s? _

His stomach churned and he felt as if he was going to vomit.

“Does any cat know what happened to Needletail?” he asked.

Witch shook their head, staring at their paws. “Darktail said that Needletail would pay the price for Violetpaw’s betrayal,” Grassheart meowed. “Then he went after them, and they never returned to camp.”

Alderheart’s legs felt weak with foreboding.  _ They could both be dead! They probably are . . . and because I asked Violetpaw for help! _

Squirrelflight gave him a sympathetic look, as though he could read his thoughts, pressing her flank against him. “Stay strong,” she encouraged her son. “You couldn’t have known what would happen, and giving up now will put all these cats at risk.”

“We have to look for them,” Alderheart whispered.

Squirrelflight gently shook her head. “There’s no time right now,” she told him. “We have to get these cats back to ThunderClan, to let the medicine cats treat them properly.”

“Excuse me?” Mistystar rose to her paws, giving the ThunderClan deputy an annoyed look. “This is RiverClan territory. There’s no way we’re going to leave it for Darktail to take over again.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Brambestar told her with a respectful dip of his head. “Darktail will have other things on his mind; he’ll know we’ll be coming for him in ShadowClan next. Your cats need more care than you can give them here, and your medicine cats are still in our camp.”

“He’s right,” Duskfur agreed hoarsely. “Plus, we need to heal, before we go after the rogues again. We might need quite some time.”

“Quite some time?” Russetstar leaped to her paws again. “We need to attack right away! Darktail is ruthless. He could attack us in ThunderClan camp next!”

“Don’t be mousebrained!” Mistystar snorted. “He’d be stupid to do that.”

“Maybe Russetstar is right,” Blossomfall spoke up. “What if they try to take this territory back again, while we’re licking our wounds?”

“I wouldn’t put it past that foxheart,” Minnowtail muttered, staring at her trampled camp, her tail whisking.

“I agree,” Lionblaze meowed, lowering his head when Squirrelflight turned her shocked glance on her son. “It’s too risky. We should attack soon.”

“We’ll discuss this at camp,” Bramblestar meowed firmly, lifting his tail to silence Russetstar before she could argue. “There’s no point in arguing now. We’ll figure it out soon.”

The pelt of the strange tabby caught Alderheart’s eye. Tired of the leaders’ arguing, he padded over to them, nodding. Beside them was a black tom. “Witch, right?” he asked, and they blinked at him.

“Yes,” they meowed. “This is Loki. We’re kittypets.”

Alderheart was surprised. “You fought really well for kittypets,” he told them, bewildered. “What are you doing here?”

“Darktail brought us to camp,” Witch explained, “and then he wouldn’t let us go. We thought it was fun at first, I like life as an outdoor cat until we found out what he was really like.”

Alderheart nodded, sympathy for the cats flooding over him. “And now you’d like to go home?”

“Not yet,” Witch meowed. “Loki wants to stay until Darktail is defeated. And I have other plans for after he’s gone . . .” They looked as if they were staring through Alderheart to another cat behind him, but when he turned, no cat was there. “Can we come with you?”

Alderheart glanced at Bramblestar, who was listening in on their conversation. The brown tabby leader nodded, amber eyes gleaming with approval. “Of course,” Alderheart meowed, getting to his paws. “Any cat who wants to fight against Darktail is welcome.”

The sky was growing pale with dawn, and the last warriors of StarClan were fading from the sky when Alderheart followed Bramblestar and the rest of the warriors back to the ThunderClan camp.

As they crossed ShadowClan territory, they were careful to stay close to the lake, and every cat was alert for any sign or scent of Darktail and his rogues. But the pine forest remained dark and silent.

_ I wonder if it’s too much to hope for, that the rogues have simply fled, _ Alderheart thought.  _ It would be great if they never bothered us again! They’ve already given us enough trouble. _

But the whereabouts of the rogues weren’t Alderheart’s main concern.

Padding along at the rear of the group, he couldn’t get Violetpaw and Needletail out of his mind.

_ What did Darktail do to Needletail and Violetpaw?  _ His heart stopped.  _ Did he . . .  _ drown _ them? His fur was covered in water. _ Alderheart halted for a moment, his breath catching in his throat.  _ Mothwing told me Sparrowtail’s body was found in the lake. Maybe Darktail drowned him as well . . . And what about the other missing cats? Them, too? _

Alderheart didn’t feel much relief as he and the rest of the cats splashed through the stream that marked the border with ShadowClan. It was good to be back on familiar territory, but his worries still crowded everything else out of his mind. He wondered whether he should ask Bramblestar if he could take out a patrol to search for Violetpaw and Needletail.

_ I could ask him . . . but I don’t think he’ll agree. With Rosepetal already out with a few of our warriors looking for Sparkstorm, I don’t think he’ll be too happy sending another one. Besides, he’ll want every cat to concentrate on healing the warriors and getting ready to drive out the rogues. _

Alderheart padded through the thorn tunnel into the camp, surrounded by a fog of misery. Their victory seemed less important than his fears that Violetpaw had sacrificed herself—because of the plan that  _ he _ had made.

But as Alderheart entered the clearing, he halted, gazing around in sudden bewilderment.  _ Surely there are far more cats here than when we left for RiverClan territory? _

Then he spotted a ginger tabby pelt, and his eyes widened. “Sparkstorm!” he cried, rushing toward his sister, excitement rushing through him. He bowled into his sister, and she laughed pressing her nose to his cheek. “Where have you been?”

“That dream,” Sparkstorm meowed, “it led me to the cats I saw. And another two cats we’ve been looking for . . .” She nodded toward the warriors’ den. Alderheart glanced where she was pointing.

Amber met a brilliant green, and emotion welled up inside him. “Twigpaw?” he croaked. He leaped up from his sister and she laughed as he raced over to the young apprentice. “Twigpaw! Is that really you?” he met her with a nuzzle and she pressed against him, her eyes wide. “We thought you were dead!”

“Oh, dad!” Twigpaw purred. She looked to be on the verge of tears. “I’m so glad to see you again. I’m sorry—you must have been so worried about me.”

Scolding her for running off was the last thing on Alderheart’s mind. He was too pleased to see her and Sparkstorm, both alive, both well. “Where have you been all this time?” he asked, his voice cracking.

“I went to find SkyClan in the barn you saw in your dream,” Twigpaw explained. “Honeyspots came with me—” she nodded to the calico she-cat, who was being surrounded by her family, Snowbush and Lilyheart grooming her fur, both relieved to see their daughters okay, “—then Sparkstorm and the others found us. I wanted to know if the cat you saw was really my kin.”

She settled herself on the ground, and Alderheart sat down beside her, reveling in the warmth of her pelt and the scent he had never thought he was going to smell again. Then he saw her leg. His eyes widened. It was stiff, sticking out awkwardly as she sat.  _ Oh, Twigpaw.  _ But he couldn’t mention it, not now.

“You found them?” he asked, tearing his gaze away from her now crippled leg. He heard the surprise and admiration in his voice.  _ After all the time I’ve spent wishing we could find them and bring them back . . .Twigpaw and Sparkstorm did it. _ “You all found SkyClan and brought them back here?”

Twigpaw nodded, beaming with pride. “It wasn’t easy,” she sighed, “but we did it. We met a few warriors, on our way to the barn, and they brought us all the way here. It took a while, but we found the barn!”

Hovering a tail-length away was the dark gray tabby tom he had seen in his dream. He looked exactly like Twigpaw, except that he was small and his eyes were yellow—just like Violetpaw.

Alderheart rose to his paws. He felt as if he was dreaming. He never thought he’d meet a SkyClan cat. “Are you . . .” he began.

The gray tom took a pace toward him and dipped his head politely. “I am Hawkwing,” he meowed. “I’m Twigpaw’s father.”

Alderheart dipped his head in response. “Welcome to ThunderClan,” he mewed.

“Thank you,” Hawkwing nodded. “It’s nice to get a warm welcome,” he added hastily.

Alderheart glanced around at the assortment of RiverClan, ShadowClan, and ThunderClan cats. He realized for the first time that many of them were eyeing Hawkwing and the other SkyClan cats suspiciously.  _ I guess this is a bit of an awkward time to welcome a _ nother _ Clan into our camp . . . _ he thought. But he was quickly distracted by Twigpaw.

“Isn't this great?” she asked excitedly, her claws kneading into the dirt. “I’ve never seen so many cats together before! I was surprised to find RiverClan here when I got back. And ShadowClan is still staying with us, I see. But—” She broke off, her excitement fading. “Is Violetpaw still with the rogues?”

Alderheart couldn’t hide his anxiety and grief at Twigpaw’s question and decided that he couldn’t lie to her.  _ I tried that with Violetpaw, and look how well that worked. _

“I don’t know where Violetpaw is right now,” he admitted. “It looked like they were trying to flee RiverClan camp and Darktail—”

“What?” Twigpaw interrupted. “Why was Darktail in RiverClan camp?”

“Darktail and his rogues raided RiverClan and drove the Clan out. We just got back from attacking the rogues and taking back the territory.”

“So why isn’t Violetpaw with you?” Twigpaw asked, deep anxiety in her voice.

“Before we arrived, Needletail and Violetpaw were fleeing from him and the Kin. No one knows what happened, but the other cats haven’t seen them since they left and Darktail chased them.”

Twigpaw’s eyes stretched wide with horror, and Hawkwing’s gaze was full of concern.  _ He knows firsthand what Darktail is like, _ Alderheart knew. He shuddered when he remembered Frecklewish telling him about Darktail, then dying to his claws. “But why would he punish  _ Violetpaw? _ ” Twigpaw demanded. “What had she done? Why didn’t some cat help her? And why—”

“Twigpaw it’s all so complicated—” Alderheart was beginning, when, to his relief, Bramblestar padded up, with Russetstar and Mistystar by his side.

“Greetings,” Bramblestar meowed, introducing himself and the other Clan leaders. “This is a momentous day for the Clans. I never expected to see SkyClan here, reunited with the rest of us.”

“SkyClan never expected it either.” A brown-and-cream tabby she-cat joined Hawkwing and gave the leaders a respectful nod. A ginger warrior stood beside her, and Alderheart recognized her from his vision of Echosong. When she saw Alderheart, her eyes grew wide as if she saw a ghost. “I am Leafstar, leader of SkyClan, and this is my daughter and deputy, Firefern.” Firefern dipped her head as well.  _ Was she named after Firestar? _ Alderheart wondered. “We have come a long way to find you.”

More cats were gathering around to listen to the leaders, and Alderheart began to hear uneasy murmurs arising from the crowd.

“Another Clan? What does this mean?”

“Surely there are too many cats living by the lake now?”

“Where are they going to live?”

Bramblestar glanced around sternly as if he wanted to quell the unwelcoming comments. Alderheart cleared his throat and stepped forward, dipping his head to the leaders. “I believe I know what we should do,” he meowed, blinking at his father. When no one protested to him speaking, he continued. “For now, we should do our best to stay in ThunderClan territory and heal our injured. Then the other medicine cats and I will go to the Moonpool at the half-moon to see what StarClan has to say about this.”

The leaders shared glances, Leafstar looked as if she was a bit confused, but she nodded slowly. “Very well,” Bramblestar meowed, blinking at Alderheart.”Our lives lie in the paws of StarClan now.”

Alderheart nodded. The SkyClan warriors seemed to relax as if they were afraid they’d be kicked out by the other Clan cats. Then he noticed Russetstar and a few of her warriors glaring at Bramblestar.  _ Whatever you’re thinking, _ Alderheart told her silently,  _ you better not mess this up for the rest of us. _


	33. Chapter Thirty-One

Wind pinned Violetpaw’s whiskers to her cheeks as she ran from Raven. Her heart was racing in her chest, her breath sharp. She was still on WindClan territory, tripping on the various rabbit holes and on her own paws.  _ I thought WindClan cats were known for running, how do they chase rabbits with terrain like this? _ She glanced over her shoulder to see Raven a few fox-lengths away from her. Her heart soared when she saw they were getting close to ThunderClan territory. She could lose her in the trees.

Violetpaw raced into the thin amount of trees on WindClan’s side of the border and halted when she reached the river. Crossing could slow her down, she wasn’t good at swimming.  _ Plus _ , she shivered,  _ I don’t think I like swimming anymore. _ Whipping her head around, she saw Raven getting closer.

Violetpaw began racing alongside the river, taking long strides If she kept running this way, she’d soon run into the Moonpool and have to climb up to the hollow.  _ Crossing the river is my best bet. _ Taking a deep breath, Violetpaw turned and splashed into the river. Her heart stopped when she realized that it was deeper than she thought, reaching up to her chin.

Flailing for a moment, Violetpaw began pushing her way through the river, the cold water making her pelt heavy. Once she reached the other side, she shook herself and began running toward the end of Clan territory. As she got closer, the territory got rockier. Maybe she could lose Raven in the rocks.

The bush branches whipped at her face. Her ears perked when she saw a tunnel in the rocks, like the one she and Needletail hid in while running from Darktail. Veering, she dove into the tunnel, her heart racing. She sank into the darkness, hoping that the water would cover up her scent. Her heart thrummed when she heard Raven’s pawsteps above her.

She heard Raven sniff around, then curse, scoring the rocks with her claws. Violetpaw held her breath until she couldn’t hear Raven anymore. Even if she was sure the rogue was gone, she kept quiet and hidden until the sun began to rise, her breathing still heavy.

Violetpaw crawled out of her hiding spot, dawn light bathing her fur. She tasted the air. Raven’s scent was stale; she was gone. Letting out a sigh of relief, Violetpaw began to groom her pelt, spiky from the wet. She sniffed around, hoping to catch the scent of ThunderClan. But she could only smell stone, and a pine forest up ahead.  _ I ran far away from Clan territory. _ She didn’t even know where she came from, her mind was whirling too much.

With shaky paws, Violetpaw began to make her way to the pine forest, hoping that she could find ShadowClan territory from there. The familiar scent of pine cones and needles bathed her tongue, reminding her of Needletail and Puddleshine. Her heart ached.

The pine turned to oaks and birches, and now Violetpaw knew she was going in the wrong direction. She’d smell ThunderClan scents by now if she was getting close to their forest. Sighing, Violetpaw decided she needed to rest. She was too tired to think, and every last part of her ached. After a few heartbeats of searching, she found a juniper bush where she could rest. She got as comfortable as she could under it and curled up into a tight ball, wishing the horror of the night before away.  _ Maybe when I wake up, I’ll be by Twigpaw’s side in Thunderclan, and all of this was just a horrible nightmare. _

_ What is Alderheart doing right now? _

He was probably at RiverClan camp, wondering what was going on with Needletail and Violetpaw. When he found out what happened to them, he’d be heartbroken. Her heart ached just thinking about it.  _ Does he think I’m dead? He’s going to tell Puddleshine and Pinenose and  _ they’ll _ think that too . . . _ A heavy sense of sorrow flooded over her for the first time as if she was just able to process what had happened. She wanted to just bury her face into her paws and cry. She wished she went to ThunderClan with Pinenose. Maybe then, Needletail would be okay, and maybe Rain would have even killed Darktail. She wished she was with her mother now, curled up in her belly fur, missing Needletail but safe.

As the apprentice's thoughts whirled, she slowly fell asleep. She dreamed of the lake, water washing her paws, stained with blood. Needletail laying in the lake, her body limp, blood seeping from her jaws. The urge to vomit washed over Violetpaw, her heart wrenching. She backed away from Needletail, squeezing her eyes shut.

The scent of blood made her want to cry, she didn’t know where to go, she wanted to run but her paws were frozen in the water. Her breaths came out ragged and she prayed to wake up soon. She shivered over and over, the cold of the water making her fur bristle. It was as if it were a freezing day and she stood in water until it turned to ice.

She jolted awake, panting when she heard footsteps. Stiffening, Violetpaw tried not to make a sound. She tasted the air. Whoever this cat was, they didn’t smell like the Kin. but Violetpaw knew she could never be too careful.  _ Maybe Raven rolled around in pine needles to cover her scent, _ she thought, shaking like a leaf. She was cold and still wet from the river.

She unsheathed her claws. “Wh-who’s there?” she called, trying to sound threatening. She was ready to pounce when a cat stepped out of the shadows. Her eyes widened. “Rain?” She recognized the she-cats pelt and her one scarred eye. It made her shiver. But besides the scar, there was a scratch over her face, red and angry.  _ That must have been from when Needletail fought her. _ She stayed wary as Rain approached her.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Rain meowed, her voice soft, and Violetpaw relaxed. If Needletail trusted Rain enough not to kill her, Violetpaw could trust her.

“What are you doing here?” Violetpaw asked.

“I’ve been camping out here since Sleekwhisker and Needletail chased me out of Clan territory,” she explained, her eye dull. “What about you? I thought you were with the Kin?”

Violetpaw shuffled, sitting down. She explained what happened with her and Needletail, and the plan Alderheart had given her. She told her that she didn’t know if Needletail was dead or alive right now, but she prayed that she was in ThunderClan camp with Alderheart and Puddleshine, wondering where Violetpaw was. “I just-” she cut herself off. “I just want to be with her. She’s the only loved one I have right now.” Her eyes became glassy.

Rain pressed against her. “It’s okay,” she meowed. “Needletail was very important to me too. She taught me love. I pray she’s alright too.” Violetpaw leaned into Rain. She smelled of pines now. It seemed she finally roomed herself and was now eating healthy prey. “I’ll hunt for you. Stay here and dry yourself off.”

Violetpaw did as she was told, grooming her fur. She shook herself off a few times before going back to licking. Once she was finished, she felt better. The fear from her nightmare was fading, but it didn’t go away completely. She waited for Rain to return, her stomach growling. She hadn’t seen Rain, she realized since the rogue tried to kill Darktail. Rain’s incident still gave Violetpaw nightmares, and the look of her eye made her skin crawl.

Rain returned with a toad. Violetpaw still wasn’t sure how she felt about eating toads and frogs, but she happily dug into it. It reminded her of Pinenose and when they’d eat together when Violetpaw was a kit. But the toad turned dry in her mouth as she remembered Needletail. Her heart twisted. She remembered Dawnpelt and Cloverfoot, Beenose, the kits, and Sparrowtail. It all made her ache. She finished her toad and her stomach gave a satisfied gurgle, but she didn’t feel well.

“Are you feeling well enough to travel?” Rain asked, licking her paws.

Violetpaw blinked. “Do you know where we are?”

“Yeah, we’re not far from the abandoned Twoleg den.”

Violetpaw was surprised. She didn’t know she’d walked so far. Still, she was glad that they were close to ThunderClan land. “Yes, I can travel,” she meowed, “but let me treat your wounds first. It looks bad.”

“Can you?” Rain asked, her eyes wide. “I don’t know enough herbs to do it myself.

Violetpaw smiled. “My brother is a medicine cat,” she explained. “I know a bit about herbs myself.” She purred as she thought of Puddleshine. Soon, she’d be with him, and she would be okay. Violetpaw searched for dock and cobwebs. She sniffed around, finding the medicine under a bush. She came back to Rain with them in her jaws and chewed the dock up so she could slather it on the rogue’s wound. Rain sighed with relief as she put the cobwebs on.

“That feels so much better,” she murmured.

“You can keep the rest of the dock,” Violetpaw meowed, pushing it toward her. “Just remember to change the cobwebs every day until it’s healed. You should be able to put the dock on yourself.”

Rain nodded to Violetpaw. “Thank you.” she got up and stretched. “Let me help you with your wounds.” Violetpaw nearly forgot about the bitemarks she’d gotten on her scruff when Flame had dragged her out of the tunnels with Needletail. Violetpaw sat still as Rain chewed up the dock and spread it onto her wounds. Violetpaw tensed as they stung, then let out a sigh. The pain left her, though it still felt bruised.

“Thanks,” Violetpaw meowed, blinking at Rain. “I really appreciate it. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Rain purred and nudged her. “I’m glad you’re here too. Come on, let’s get you home.”

_ Home, _ Violetpaw thought.  _ I’m not sure ThunderClan is my home, but my kin is there. That’s all that matters. _ They made their way to the abandoned Twoleg den and it was silent for a while. Then Violetpaw thought of a question she’d wanted to ask Rain for a while. “Why did you leave the Kin?”

She cringed a bit when Rain’s eye narrowed. She hoped she didn’t bring up a bad topic for her. “When I joined Darktail,” she began, her voice hoarse, “he promised me power and vengeance on those who hurt me. My mother wasn’t the best cat, and when I told him that, he was eager to make me join his group, along with my siblings, Raven and Roach.” She sighed. “But it was all a lie. He just wanted his army to grow so he could attack the Clans. I knew that many cats were going to fall for the same, perfect lie. Who doesn’t want revenge on the cats who hurt them?” She shook out her pelt. “I don’t know how I feel about you Clan cats, some of your laws are stupid, but I know you’re changing. I wanted to take over your lake, too, at first. Then I lost my eye. Darktail told me you were vicious monsters who attacked any cat on their territory and would eat them if they had the chance. That sounds silly but I believed him. Now I see that you’re just cats trying to live your best lives and make a better place for your kits and even your elders.

“Neeldetail fell for his lie as well. But she came to understand what a monster Darktail was. Now she’s gone.” Rain choked a bit, her eyes round.

“Darktail promised revenge on her parents and Alderheart and Russetstar, but that’s not what she wanted in the end,” Violetpaw meowed. “After she killed her father, she knew this path wasn’t the one she wanted to follow.” She lowered her head. “You’re a good cat, Rain.” She blinked at her. “I have to thank you for helping save Needletail.”

Rain purred and nudged the apprentice. “I should thank you, too. Alright, kit, we’re in ShadowClan land now, you know how to get to ThunderClan-” She stopped andVioletpaw stiffened. Looking around, Rain stepped in front of Violetpaw. She nudged her into one of the bushes. “Stay behind me. Be ready to run if you need to.” Violetpaw bunched up her muscles as she crouched, ready to race to ThunderClan land. Rain’s fur bristled and she snarled when the bushes in front of them rustled.

Violetpaw’s heart was racing when she saw two cats step out of the bushes: Raven and Roach. They were both very scratched up. Violetpaw prayed that that was because of the four Clans fighting them. Violetpaw’s fur bristled along her spine as Raven unsheathed her claws, showing her sharp, yellow teeth. “This is Kin territory,” she hissed. “What’s a traitor like you doing here?”

  
  


Rain’s tail was flicking. “I’m just trying to leave ShadowClan land. I was hunting and ran over the border, I’m sorry.” Roach was staring at her, their eyes narrow. “I’ll fight you if I have to.”

Raven snorted. “We’ve fought you before, we can do it again. We don’t tolerate cats like you on our land.”

Roach stepped forward. “Come now, Raven,” they meowed. “She said she was leaving, and she’s not doing any harm.” Raven gave her sibling a look, but before she could speak, Roach interrupted her. She’s our sister. I don’t care what happened, I’m not going to fight her again. She wasn't doing anything wrong, anyway.” Violetpaw was shocked by the mangy moggy’s kind words. Raven huffed but nodded. She gave her sister a look before backing away. “We will kill you if we see you again, though, Rain. Don’t force our paws.” Then they both left, disappearing into the undergrowth.

Rain stared after them, her one eye round as if shocked. Violetpaw stepped out. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Rain huffed. Then she relaxed. “Yes, I’m fine. This as far as I go, kit.”

Violetpaw pressed her nose to the older rogue’s kit. “Thank you for your help,” she meowed. Rain blinked, then turned and disappeared into the pine trees. Violetpaw was still on ShadowClan territory. She took a deep breath in, recognizing the place from her patrols. She missed the pine forest. She missed ShadowClan camp and the cats who raised her And she missed the marsh, even if she hated it. Her heart ached as she crossed the border.  _ I’ll be back, _ she promised the trees as she padded into the oak forest. Her ears perked when she saw cats ahead. “Hello?”

She recognized Ambersky and Stormcloud. She ran toward them and her eyes widened. “Violetpaw?” Stormcloud cried. “You’re okay! Thank StarClan, every cat is worried sick about you, you know?”

Violetpaw purred as Ambersky pressed her nose to her cheek. She barely knew these cats but they treated her like Clanmates.

“Come on, dear,” Ambersky meowed, flicking her tail to her. “Let’s take you home."

_ Home, _ Violetpaw thought.  _ I’m heading home. _


	34. Chapter Thirty-Two

Twigpaw lay stretched on the ground outside the apprentices’ den, her leg splayed out behind her. A day had passed since she returned with the SkyClan cats and Alderheart and Leafpool looked over her leg the night before. Twigpaw hoped they’d be able to heal it, but her heart had sunk when Leafpool shook her head.

“It’s too far gone,” she had meowed, blinking at Twigpaw. “It won’t get infected, but you will have a limp.”

She didn’t let that harm her spirit, though. SkyClan was in the camp. Her  _ kin _ was here. Now, she sat with her father, listening to him tell her about the journey to the lake. His pelt smelled exactly how she thought it would, like a sunny forest. He reminded her so much of Violetpaw. She missed her sister with an ache.

_ I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of listening to his voice, _ Twigpaw thought, her heart swelling as she lay her head on her father’s shoulder.  _ It’s great to be back home, and it’s even better now that I have my kin.  _ Blood _ kin. Who I know loves me. _ Yes, Hawkwing loved her. He loved her more than Snowbush and Lilyheart loved her. Right? Yes. That’s right. It didn’t feel right.

It was early morning. Twigpaw had woken up before the sunrise so she could go hunting with her father, but Squirrelflight told her she wanted only warriors hunting that day. Still, she tried not to let her stomach ache. Nothing was going wrong, right? Everything was okay. Everything was okay. Everything didn’t feel okay.

The day before, the clearing had been filled with bustle. But today, it was quiet, many warriors out on border patrol or hunting. Squirrelflight forbade cats from going too close to the ShadowClan border in fear of Darktail attacking them. The RiverClan prisoners weren’t fully healed, nor were quite a few of the warriors who attacked RiverClan camp the day before. Every cat was told by their leaders to take it easy for a few days before they got ready for battle.

That morning, the leaders had taken a few of the uninjured RiverClan warriors and some of their own to the RiverClan camp to see what damage had been made and hopefully begin rebuilding. Toadstep had been the first to offer to go, along with Rosepetal and Hazeltail. Squirrelflight was in charge of the camp, much to Rowanclaw’s dismay. Still, the camp was peaceful. It almost felt as if there was only one Clan in camp now.

Twigpaw was dozing with her eyes open, staring off at the entrance of camp. She thought of when SkyClan would decide to move to their new territory by the lake, whenever it may be, and she’d get to go with them. She’d get to live with her kin, far away from ThunderClan . . . Wouldn’t that be lovely?

In the short time since the Clans had reunited, some of the ThunderClan warriors had discussed the prophecy with her, with new respect that Twigpaw had never seen before.  _ I can see in their eyes that they’re taking me seriously, and they listen to what I have to say. _

“You may not be what the prophecy told the Clans to embrace,” Squirrelflight had meowed. “But you and Violetpaw are connected to the lost Clan. No cat still thinks it was an accident that you were brought here.”

“That’s true,” Snowbush agreed and blinked at Twigpaw, making her stomach churn. “Maybe it was meant to be. And maybe  _ embracing _ you when you were found is what allowed us to reunite with SkyClan.”

Twigpaw hoped that was true.  _ I felt so useless when no cat knew what I was doing here. But I  _ did _ bring SkyClan back! I’ve earned my place here. _

Still, there was no talk about what would happen to her now that her leg was broken. Alderheart had promised that she would stay a warrior apprentice, no matter what, but somehow she couldn’t believe him. She’d heard many stories of disabled cats who were forced to become medicine cats. She had to prove herself.

Movement beside the thorn tunnel attracted Twigpaw’s gaze. Ambersky pushed her way into the camp, followed by Stormcloud. And following them was a third cat, a small, black-and-white she-cat who was achingly familiar . . .

“Violetpaw!” she yowled, springing to her paws. “You’re alive!”

Best she could, Twigpaw rushed across the camp to her littermate, relief almost sweeping her off her paws. Violetpaw stood still, staring at her, a flood of joy in her yellow eyes, then bounded forward. The two young cats pressed against each other, drinking in each other’s scents, purring as if they would never stop. She smelled so familiar, like the violets she was named after. A new scent mingled in, the scent of pines, and even the faintest scent of fish.

“I’m so sorry we ever fought!” Twigpaw gasped out at last. “I’m so happy, just to see you’re alive!”

“Alderheart told me you must be dead,” Violetpaw responded. “But I never gave up hope. I’m sorry too: I should have never been angry at you. I’m so sorry.”

“That doesn’t matter now,” Twigpaw assured her. “Besides, you’ve more than made up for it. Every cat says that, without you, the rogues would never have been driven out of RiverClan territory.”

Violetpaw’s ears flicked up and her eyes widened in surprise. “The rogues have been driven out?”

“Yes, but only from RiverClan’s territory. The leaders were going to attack once the prisoners were exchanged,” Twigpaw told her, “but the prisoners rose up on their own! And with Darktail gone, the Kin were easily chased off. But they’ve just moved back to ShadowClan’s land. Anyway, the leaders were worried about you. Alderheart said that you were caught trying to leave the Kin, and Darktail chased you, and then he came back with scratches and blood on his fur. They thought he’d done something horrible to you—that you might be dead!”

The joy faded from Violetpaw’s eyes. “After he caught us, Darktail took Needletail and me down to the lake,” she explained, her voice shaking. “He was going to drown Needletail as a punishment for what I did, helping cats escape from him. Roach and Raven and Sleekwhisker were there, too.” She paused, swallowing, and Twigpaw rested her tail comfortingly on her sister’s shoulder.

“Needletail turned on them and attacked them,” Violetpaw continued after a moment. “She was so brave! She told me to run, and I did . . . But should have stayed and fought beside her!”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Twigpaw meowed. “Two of you against four of those vicious cats? You would have both died, and Needletail would have given you a chance for nothing.”

Violetpaw nodded reluctantly. “Raven followed me,” she went on. “I couldn’t think about anything except losing her—and when I finally did, I had no idea where I was.” Her head and tail drooped. “It took ages for me to find my way back to the lake, and then I met a ThunderClan patrol at the northern border.” She looked as if she was keeping something else from Twigpaw, but she didn’t care.  _ My sister is  _ alive.  _ That’s all that matters. _

“Thank StarClan you made it!” Twigpaw leaned forward and nuzzled her sister’s shoulder. “Come on,” she murmured. “There’s a cat I want you to meet.”

Leading Violetpaw farther into camp, Twigpaw saw that the remaining ShadowClan warriors were emerging from their den, having been alerted by Ambersky and Stormcloud. When they spotted Violetpaw, their eyes widened with an expression of awe and deep respect.

“There she is!” Mistcloud exclaimed, bounding toward the apprentice. “Welcome, Violetpaw! You’re a hero to us all!”

“You certainly are,” Grassheart purred, pressing her nose to Violetpaw’s ear. “It’s good to see you alive and well.”

Twigpaw let Violetpaw’s Clanmates greet her, then gave her a nudge and guided her to the apprentices’ den. Hawkwing had risen to his paws and was waiting for them.

“This is Hawkwing,” Twigpaw mewed to her sister, feeling as if her excitement was about to bubble out of her like a mountain spring bursting from the rogues. “He’s a SkyClan warrior—and he’s our father!”

Violetpaw halted in front of him, her jaws gaping with astonishment. Hawkwing leaned forward and gently touched noses with her.

“I never hoped to have both my kits close to me,” he mewed, his yellow eyes shining with delight. “This must be a sign from StarClant that kin should stay together, always. You can help us rebuild SkyClan!”

Just as he was speaking, a rush of pawsteps sounded behind Twigpaw. Turning, she saw Puddleshine and Alderheart dashing up to them, with Pinenose close behind them.

“Violetpaw!” Puddleshine and Alderheart cried at the same time.

“You’re okay,” Alderheart breathed, pressing his muzzle into her shoulder.

“Oh, my Violetpaw,” Pinenose meowed, her eyes filled with emotion. She didn’t embrace her daughter like Puddleshine and Alderheart had, but stood close, blinking at her “I’m so happy to see you again.”

Violetpaw purred loudly, licking Puddleshine’s shoulder as her brother wrapped his tail around her, his blue eyes squeezed shut. “I thought you were gone!” Puddleshine meowed, his voice cracking. Twigpaw could see the joy and excitement mingling in her sister’s eyes.

Pinenose glanced at Hawkwing, blinking at him slowly. It was obvious that she had overheard his last words. “Have you discussed this with Russetstar and Bramblestar?” she asked.

“They’re not here,” Hawkwing replied. “They’re still in RiverClan, looking over Mistystar’s camp. Why—is there a problem?”

“There may be,” Alderheart meowed, dipping his head to Pinenose. “Twigpaw and Vioeltpaw already have allegiances to other Clans.”   
  


“But—” Hawkwing began to protest.

“There’s no need to worry about that now,” Puddleshine meowed rapidly, giving Alderheart an exasperated look. “Violetpaw, you look so skinny and exhausted. You need to come to the medicine cat den and have some juniper to build up your strength. Mother can come with us. Twigpaw, can you fetch her something from the fresh-kill pile?” His eyes sparkled and he winked at the apprentice. “The best thing you can find.”

He and Alderheart padded off with Violetpaw, Puddleshine’s tail still resting on her shoulders. Pinenose glanced at Hawkwing before following them.

Before Twigpaw could go fetch prey for her sister, Hawkwing asked her, “Do you both have real allegiances to the other Clans. Obviously, you’re grateful to ThunderClan and ShadowClan for taking you in and raising you, but . . .  _ I _ am your kin. Surely, that’s more important?”

At first, Twigpaw couldn’t think how to reply. She wanted to go to SkyClan with her father  _ so much _ but when she daydreamed about that, she never took Alderherrt into consideration. How would he feel about that? Would he be upset? She dipped her head, unwilling to meet her father’s gaze.

“You have SkyClan blood in you,” Hawkwing continued. “You’re SkyClan cats. Twigpaw—”

“It’s all too much to take in,” Twigpaw interrupted desperately. “And I’m not sure what I want to do.” Honestly, when she said that, she felt her stomach churn and flip as if she was about to vomit. Was she a SkyClan cat? She never knew SkyClan before now. Yes, she felt a connection to them when she met them, but she’d been in ThunderClan since she was a kit. Didn’t that mean something too?

She could hardly bear to see the look of disappointment in her father’s yellow eyes. She wanted to find the words to console him, but she had no idea how to do that. StarClan, she couldn’t find the words to console  _ herself. _

“I’d better fetch that fresh-kill,” she mumbled and bounded off before her father could say anymore.

As Twigpaw was choosing one of the fatest voles, Violetpaw’s favorite prey, from the fresh-kill pile, more cats began to pour in through the thorn tunnel, with Bramblestar in the lead. Russetstar, Leafstar, and the ThunderClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan warriors followed him. All of them looked exhausted.

Squirrelflight bounded down the tumbled rocks to meet the returning cats in the center of the clearing. Other warriors gathered around eagerly.

“Is everything okay?” Squirrelflight asked.

“More or less,” Bramblestar sighed. “We saw nothing of the rogues, but you wouldn’t believe the mess they’ve left behind in RiverClan! The camp is disgusting—I can’t imagine what it was like to live there.”

Leafstar shook her head, her nose wrinkling. “It doesn’t surprise me,” she huffed. “He and his cats destroyed the gorge after they drove us out. He has no respect for the Clans, or how we live.”

Russetstar’s tail whisked. “No, he doesn’t.”

“Mistystar and her warriors have stayed behind to start rebuilding,” Rosepetal added. “But they’re going to continue living in our camp for a while longer until they’ve cleared away the worst of the debris.”

Russetstar stepped forward, her eyes narrow. “This is why we should drive out the Kin  _ now _ ,” she snarled. “No more waiting! We must stand up and drive Darktail out, while he and his Kin are still wounded and outnumbered! Who knows who else he’s manipulated to stay with him since the RiverClan attack.”

Yowls of agreement rose from some of the warriors, while others cried out in protest.

“We’re not ready!”

“We’re still wounded.”

“We must drive out Darktail!”

“Not this again!” Tawnypelt snapped, glaring at her leader. “We _ must _ wait until we are fully healed. I even think we should speak to Mdustar about joining us. He’s calmed since the battle all that time ago. Maybe we can persuade him—”

“No!” Russetstar turned on Tawnypelt. “I don’t need Mudstar’s help.”

“Russettsar, stop,” Bramblestar meowed, keeping his voice calm. “We need WindClan to help us, and we need to wait for the medicine cats to heal us. We will not attack the rogues in ShadowClan until we’re ready. We won’t make the same mistake we did in the first battle.”

Russetstar shut her jaws, but a few more warriors continued to argue about it in the clearing. Twigpaw shuffled her paws, uncomfortable as she made her way to the medicine den. The Clans still couldn’t come to an agreement.  _ Maybe we  _ do _ need WindClan. Maybe then we can get this over with sooner. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to do as much research possible for Twigpaw's leg but in the end I just winged it :') so sorry if anything's not really correct.


	35. Chapter Thirty-Three

Violetpaw sat near the apprentices’ den. Two days had passed since she joined Twigpaw in ThunderClan camp, and since then, quite a few of the warriors in camp had been healed and began their battle training. The medicine cats warned them to be careful, they didn’t want more cats to come into the medicine den since they were already so low on herbs. The RiverClan prisoners were taking longer to heal, however, what with their wounds becoming infected after Slit wasn’t allowed to heal them. Violetpaw brought them prey as often as she could.

“Oh, Violetpaw,” Curlfeather had purred when Vioetpaw brought her a mouse the day before, “you’re so kind. Thank you.”

“Yes,” Duskfur agreed, blinking at the apprentice. “Without you, we would still be suffering in Darktail’s camp.”

Violetpaw had licked her chest, her ears becoming warm with embarrassment. “It’s the least I can do,” she meowed. “You need your strength if you want to heal soon.”

Now, Violetpaw was sitting with her sister. Hawkwing was out on hunting patrol. He’d been the first to volunteer that morning, along with Firefern and Bloomwhisker of SkyClan. Violetpaw got to know her Aunt Bloomwhisker as she stayed in ThunderClan camp, and she enjoyed her company, but she still didn’t know if she wanted to join her and Hawkwing in SkyClan. She was still grieving the loss of Needletail . . . this was a confusing time for her.

A part of her still cried out that Needletail was still out there, alive and well, though injured, but . . . could she believe that? Needletail was attacked by three cats, one of them being  _ Darktail _ , while she was half-starved and upset about Rain. Could she survive that?

Violetpaw jolted when Twigpaw nudged her. “Are you hungry?” her sister asked, her green eyes shining. Her eyes reminded Violetpaw so much of Needletail it ached. “Dad—Snowbush brought back a pigeon, and he said I could have it. Wanna share?”

Violetpaw’s stomach lurched at the thought of eating. Puddleshine told her a loss of appetite was normal in grieving cats, but she also wanted to keep the prey for the cats who needed it most.  _ The RiverClan cats haven’t eaten properly since Darktail took them prisoner. They deserve it. _ “No, I’m not hungry,” she murmured, staring at her paws.

Twigpaw’s eyes rounded. “Are you sure? I haven’t seen you eat much since you got here.”

Violetpaw flicked her fluffy tail. “I’m just upset,” she meowed, unable to look Twigpaw in the eyes. If Needletail were there, she’d wrap her tail around Violetpaw and call her a toadbrain. Then she’d tell Violetpaw to try a few bites while they talked about what’s wrong, and Needletail would promise everything would be okay someday soon. Then Needletail would try to cheer her up with jokes and stupid things she saw that day, and whatever was bothering Violetpaw would leave her alone.

But Twigpaw only pressed her nose to Violetpaw’s ear and got to her paws. “I’m sorry,” she meowed, blinking at her sister before limping to the fresh-kill pile. Violetpaw saw her leg and cringed.  _ That’s my fault, isn’t it? _ Being near Twigpaw made her skin crawl. Maybe she thought that Twigpaw could fill the hole in Violetpaw’s heart now that Needletail was gone. But no.

Twigpaw wasn’t Needletail.

Violetpaw’s ears perked when she saw a black figure approaching her from across the camp. Pinenose let out an exasperated sigh and flopped down beside Violetpaw, her fur spiking up. Violetpaw smiled at her. “How was the patrol?” she asked her mother, grooming her pelt. She’d grown since the last time she saw Pinenose. She remembered when she was a tiny kit, small enough to fit in the nook of Pinenose’s belly and curl up there. Now, she was still smaller than her mother but much fluffier, a bit more than half her size.

“Oh, Hollytuft and Foxnose made a big deal about Foxnose taking the prey she was about to catch,” she snorted, rolling her eyes. “These young cats have too much fight in them. They need to realize we’re on the same side.” She gave Violetpaw a look, her eyes sparkling. “You should be glad you haven’t been here long,” she huffed.

“You’re starting to sound like an elder,” Violetpaw teased.

“Hey now,” Pinenose nudged her, “I’m not that old.”

Violetpaw laughed, pressing her nose to Pinenose’s ear. Since Violetpaw joined ThunderClan, she felt as if there was a strain between her and her mother, though Pinenose didn’t show it. The back warrior acted as if Violetpaw never left her and the ShadowClan cats who joined ThunderClan long ago, as if Violetpaw never betrayed her But Violetpaw knew that she had betrayed Pinenose’s trust that night.

Violetpaw sighed. The light that shone down on her and warmed her pelt calmed her anxieties. “I hope we’ll be able to get back to ShadowClan again soon,” she murmured, leaning into Pinenose’s pelt. “It’s so cramped here. I miss the pine forest.”

Pinenose didn’t answer. Instead, she stared at Violetpaw for many long heartbeats. Violetpaw’s heart thumped hard in her chest under her intense gaze. Then Pinenose blinked slowly, leaned close, and hissed into Violetpaw’s ear, “Meet me behind the nursery.” Violetpaw watched her mother get to her paws and stretch before sauntering over to the nursery.

_ What is she planning? _ Violetpaw wondered, confused. She glanced around, making sure no one saw her, before following her. When she reached the nursery, she squeezed into a dark space behind it, where Pinenose was sitting. The two of them barely had any room behind there, the stone wall pressing against Violetpaw, making her claustrophobic.

Pinenose’s eyes flashed and she lifted her head. “Russetstar and Rowanclaw have decided it’s the best time to attack the Kin in ShadowClan camp,” she meowed. Violetpaw’s heart skipped a beat, fear gripping her. She’d heard whispers that Russetstar was being loud about her opinions about wanting to go after Darktail as soon as they could, but she didn’t think her leader would be stupid enough to actually go against Bramblestar’s orders.

“You—” Her paws shook. “You can’t. It could be a bloodbath.”

“A few ThunderClan cats have agreed to come with us, even some RiverClan warriors,” Pinenose pressed, leaning closer to her daughter. “Berrynose, Sparkstorm, even Lionblaze are willing to fight with us. For ShadowClan. Didn’t you say that you wanted to get back to our camp as soon as possible?”

Violetpaw backed away, lowering her head. “Yes, but—”

“Violetpaw, fight with us. We can defeat the Kin. We don’t need Bramblestar’s order to attack. That tom waits too long, now is the best time to strike. The Kin is weak and wounded, and many of the ShadowClan warriors have left them. They’re vulnerable  _ now. _ ”

“I can’t,” Violetpaw meowed, unable to look Pinenose in the eye. Her stomach churned uneasily. “ _ We _ can’t. Too many cats could die. Don’t you see that?”

Pinenose’s eyes rounded and she stepped closer again. “You don’t have to fight.”

“You don’t have to either!” Violetpaw hissed, lifting her head again. “You could die.”  _ I can’t lose more of my kin. _

Pinenose shook her head. “No,” she meowed. “I have to do this. I need to fight for my Clan, and help my mother rebuild it.”

Violetpaw’s head whirled. Her stomach wrenched at the thought of Rain. The blood. Her eye. She shuddered. What if that happened to Pinenose? Could Violetpaw bear to see her in that much pain?

Pinenose blinked at her daughter, eyes sympathetic. “I’m going, and that’s final. We’re going tonight, at moonhigh.” She pressed her nose to Violetpaw’s ear. “I know you’ve gone through a lot of war and suffering in your life, and I understand that you don’t want to suffer through more of that. But I must do this, for my Clan and my kin.”

As Violetpaw breathed in her mother’s scent, she thought of Needletail. Would she want Violetpaw to fight? Would she give Violetpaw a choice?  _ She didn’t give me much of a choice when she asked me to join the Kin . . . _ Violetpaw’s heart ached.  _ I know she’d made some bad decisions. But I wish she was here so bad. _

The two she-cats slipped back out into camp. Violetpaw watched Pinenose approach Rowanclaw and shake her head. Rowanclaw turned his stare on Violetpaw and she stiffened. He looked thoughtful before he blinked at the apprentice, his eyes softening. Still, Violetpaw couldn't relax. Would her Clanmates be upset with her? They’d been so kind since she joined ThunderClan, but now she was refusing to fight. She unsheathed her claws, digging them into the dirt.

Violetpaw looked over her shoulder to see Twigpaw sitting with Hawkwing and Sandynose. Sandynose was grooming Hawkwing’s fur as the gray tabby told Twigpaw stories. Not far away, Plumwillow was growing close to Mousewhisker, who was heavy with kits, his stomach already beginning to swell outward. At their paws, Stalkkit, Skunkkit, and Magepiekit were play-fighting. Violetpaw wondered if she should go join her family. But she couldn’t let them start asking if anything was wrong. She didn’t want to tell them about Russetsar plan, the ShadowClan leader would be furious.

Instead, she padded into the apprentices’ den. Inside was Honeyspots. The calico she-cat blinked at Violetpaw, then shuffled her paws, nodding to her. “Good afternoon,” she mewed awkwardly, lowering her head.

Violetpaw smiled and dipped her head as well. She didn’t know Honeyspots very well, they didn’t even talk at Gatherings when Violetpaw went, but she knew the calico warrior was Twigpaw’s foster sister. Oddly enough, the ThunderClan warrior sort of reminded Violetpaw of Puddleshine. They were both such jumpy cats, but she knew Honeyspots was kind, having saved Twigpaw on her journey to SkyClan.

Violetpaw laid in her nest. Part of her missed her old nest in ShadowClan. In the faraway camp, under the moss and bracken of her nest, laid a ragged, red feather. It was probably shredded by now, but while she was with the Kin she’d sometimes dig it up and snuggle with it. It no longer smelled of Twigpaw and ThunderClan, but it reminded her of good times as a kit.

Violetpaw snuggled deeper into her nest. She still wasn’t used to the strong ThunderClan scent; she missed the scent of pines and sap. Sighing, Violetpaw let herself drift off into sleep. As she fell into darkness, water washed her paws. She opened her eyes once more, and, instead of the apprentices’ den, she saw a long expanse of water. Her fur pricked as her paws sunk into the mud underneath her.

Her eyes widened when she saw blood wisping in the water, and raised her head. Her breath hitched when she saw Needletail’s battered body and over her was Darktail, who had a few scratches across his shoulders and face. She tried to call out to her friend, but her mew came out muffled as if she was under the water herself.

Darktail swiped at Needletail’s body, ripping out chunks of fur. Violetpaw screeched and cried out, but it was no use. Neither of them could hear her. She stiffened when Needletail yowled. Darktail struck out, catching Needletail’s face with his claws. At first, Violetpaw couldn’t do anything but watch, seeing Needletail’s eyes get ripped open. Then, Violetpaw tore her gaze away, shuddering.  _ StarClan, please, make this stop. _

Violetpaw jolted awake. Beside her, Twigpaw was sleeping, her chest rising and falling. She lifted her head and glanced wildly around the den for any sign of Darktail. When she didn’t see his black-and-white pelt in the shadows, she relaxed, untensing her shoulder. She stared down at Twigpaw and slumped. She remembered her sleepless nights in ShadowClan when she wished Twigpaw hadn’t left her, longing for Twigpaw to be by her side once more.

Now she wished Needletail was here.

Violetpaw jolted when she saw shadows passing over her den. She got to her paws and padded to the entrance slowly to see what was happening. Many warriors were padding toward the entrance of camp, their pawsteps silent on the stone floor. As they disappeared through the thorn tunnel, Violetpaw thought of Sleekwhisker and Darktail in the ShadowClan camp. Her skin crawled, anger bubbling up in her stomach. She needed to follow them.

She glanced back at Twigpaw in their nest. The gray apprentice was curled up tight, her leg splayed out beside her. Violetpaw’s tail swished, sympathy for her sister making her chest ache. She couldn’t focus on that now.

She slipped out of the den, glancing up at the moon. It was moonhigh, it was nearly the half-moon, but with clouds covering it, the forest was dark. She snuck toward the entrance of camp, where the scents of the warriors who left to fight still clung. She padded into the forest. She didn’t know these woods very well, but she was able to follow the scents of the other cats. She tripped over a few roots, and the branches of bushes scratched against her back, making uneasiness sink into her pelt.

She stopped, her ears perking when she heard murmurs up ahead and the sounds of pawsteps. Rushing forward, she nearly bumped into a RiverClan tom. He turned around, snarling at her before his ears perked when he recognized Violetpaw. “What is it?” another cat, Poollight, called, bounding toward her Clanmate.

“It’s Violetpaw,” the tom meowed, blinking at the apprentice.

“Violetpaw?” Pinenose’s voice rang from further up ahead before she approached her daughter, her eyes wide. “Is something wrong? What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to fight,” Violetpaw meowed, puffing up her chest. “I want to help take down Darktail and his Kin.”

Pinenose blinked at her as if surprised. Then her eyes softened. “We’re happy to have you,” she meowed. “Come on, I’ll tell Russetstar you’re here.”

Violetpaw recognized a few cats, Mistcloud and Ferretclaw were there, and so were Lionblaze, Hollytuft, Sparkstorm, and Leafshade. Pinenose caught up with her mother, blinking at her. “Violetpaw’s joined us,” she meowed, flicking her tail to the apprentice. Russetstar turned her gaze on Violetpaw, and the black-and-white she-cat stiffened. She knew Russetstar wasn’t happy with her for leaving to the Kin, was she still upset with her?  _ She can’t be, I helped save our Clanmates. _

Then the russet leader blinked at her. “I’m glad you’re here,” she meowed. “We need more paws; this won’t be easy.”

Although Violetpaw’s paws tingled with nervousness, she needed to show Russetstar that she was brave. “I know,” she meowed. “I’ll do my best to help my kin.”

Russetstar nodded. “I know you will.”

They continued on and Violetpaw saw Sparkstorm speaking with Lionblaze. The ginger tabby turned to Violetpaw and blinked at her. “Hey!” she meowed, rushing over to her. “I’m glad you’re here, Violet. Just watch, we’ll win ShadowClan camp back no problem.”

Violetpaw blinked at her, unable to say anything as doubt rushed over her.

As they crossed over the ThunderClan and ShadowClan border, Violetpaw looked over her shoulder to see all the warriors that were with them. There weren’t many, maybe five or six for each Clan present. Violetpaw wondered if they even stood a chance.  _ There are so many rogues in the Kin. Sure, many of them were ShadowClan cats who left, but still . . . the rogues are bloodthirsty.  _ Her stomach churned.  _ How many of our cats could this kill? _

\--------

Twigpaw opened her eyes. It was cold for a Greenleaf night, the chill in the air having been the thing to wake her. She grumbled and tried to snuggle closer to Violetpaw, unable to do it very well with her leg stretched at an awkward angle. She blinked when she realized Vioetpaw’s warm pelt wasn’t beside her anymore. Lifting her head, she turned to see Violetpaw gone. She glanced around the den. The small amount of moonlight shined down through the gaps of the den, showing that only Honeyspots, Nightpaw, and Larktail were in the den. Violetpaw and Leafshade were nowhere to be seen. She leaped to her paws, limping quickly out of her den.

“Twigpaw!” Alderheart rushed up to her from the medicine cat den. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Twigpaw meowed, blinking at Alderheart. “What are you doing up?”

“Looking for Sparkstorm,” Alderheart mowed, his eyes rounding. He padded up to his apprentice friend and sniffed at her leg. “How’s it feeling?”

Twigpaw backed away from him. “It’s fine. I can’t find Violetpaw either. Where do you think they went?”

Alderheart’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll tell Bramblestar. Stay here, keep an eye out for them.”

Twigpaw sat down, watching him pad up to the Highledge and slip into his father’s den. She stared at the entrance, praying for their sisters to walk through the thorn tunnel, safe and sound. Bramblestar followed Alderheart out of his den and Twigpaw got to her paws again, rushing over to the two tabbies. “You two don’t have to worry,” Bramblestar meowed as he led Alderheart down the tumble of rocks. “I’m sure they just went on a walk.”

“In the middle of the night?” Alderheart pressed.

“Leafshade and Cypresspaw weren’t in the apprentices’ den, either,” Twigpaw brought up. “Do you think they went with?”

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes, his whiskers twitching thoughtfully. He padded to the warriors’ den and slipped in. When he walked back out a few moments later, he looked panicked. “Russetstar isn’t there either.”

Alderheart’s ears perked. “Where could they have gone?”

Bramblestar didn’t answer, leaping up to the Highledge and calling out to his Clan loudly. “All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather under the Highledge for a Clan meeting!”

As cats began to pour out, groaning from their slumbers being interrupted, Squirrelflight stumbled out of the leader’s den. “What’s going on?” she asked, yawning.

Bramblestar didn’t answer her, waiting for his Clan and the other queens, warriors, and apprentices to join them. The elders stepped out of their den and stood there. Millie leaned into Graystripe’s pelt, her eyes opening and closing and opening again. “Why are you calling a meeting in the middle of the night?” Mistystar asked, her eyes narrow as she stared up at Bramblestar. Reedwhisker padded up to his mother and pressed against her. Alderheart and Leafpool leaped up next to Bramblestar in their places and Bramblestar began.

“Russetstar, Leafshade, Sparkstorm, Cypress, and Violetpaw are missing from the camp, “ he meowed, “and so are many other warriors. Does any cat know where they are?”

Murmurs swept across the camp and cats shared a few glances, their eyes wide. But no cat spoke up, only staring from one to another.

“I think it’s obvious,” Duskfur meowed, her tail whipping. “Russetstar was so ready to attack Darktail’s Kin on the day we left RiverClan camp. Do you think she riled up some warriors to attack them?”

Alderheart glanced at Squirrelflight with a scared look on his face. “Sparkstorm wouldn’t be that stupid, would she?” he asked, his ears flattening.

Squirrelflight sighed. “I could believe it,” she mumbled, shaking her head at the thought of her daughter rushing off to fight.

An apprentice spoke up: Nightpaw of RiverClan. “I heard my sister, Cypresspaw talking about an attack on ShadowClan tonight,” she meowed. There was an uproar as she spoke.

Minnowtail gave her apprentice a swift cuff over her head. “What were you thinking, not telling us something like that?” she asked.

“I didn’t think they’d actually go!” Nightpaw cried and fluffed up her tail.

Bramblestar growled and lashed his tail. “We have to be fast!” he growled. “Minnowtail, Jayflight, Squirrelflight, Hawkwing, and Strikestone, come with me.” He rushed down the tumble of rocks toward the entrance of camp. The warriors he called followed him.

“I’m coming too!” Twigpaw meowed, limping over to them.

Bramblestar glanced at Alderheart and Leafpool. Alderheart nodded firmly and Leafpool only flicked her tail. “Very well, come on.”

They all made their way toward ShadowClan territory. Twigpaw lagged behind, panting. Her leg was failing her, dragging in the dirt as she ran with the other warriors. Hawkwing glanced back at her and fell back so she could run beside him. They crossed the ShadowClan border and the disgusting smell of rogue nearly overwhelmed Twigpaw. It had been quite some time since she’d smell this. It had clung to Violetpaw’s pelt when she joined ThunderClan, but it wasn’t this strong.

She held back a gag, following Hawkwing to ShadowClan camp. As they got closer, Twigpaw could hear the yowls of cats in battle. Once they ran into the camp, Twigpaw’s fur stood on end. There were so many cats here, screeching and tearing out each other’s fur. Frightened, Twigpaw scanned the camp for Violetpaw’s black-and-white pelt. Juniperfang had Ferretclaw pinned to the ground, scratching at his pelt, Thistle and Sap were battling with Mallownose and Hollytuft, while Perchwing and Leafshade pummeled Rippletail.

Twigpaw’s ears perked when she saw a black-and-white pelt, and her heart lurched when she saw the blood that covered it. But that wasn’t Violetpaw. It was Darktail.  _ Oh, thank StarClan. _ The black-and-white rogue leader was wrestling with Russetstar, his eyes blazing. Sleekwhisker wasn’t far behind him, swiping at Rowanclaw. The warriors were being flayed! Even with the Kin cats injured, the small number of cats attacking the ShadowClan camp stood no chance against them. Twigpaw watched Bramblestar leap down into the fray and rush toward Russetstar. “Call a retreat!” he cried to the ShadowClan leader. Darktail backed off, glaring at Russetstar.

“Well?” Darktail asked, flicking his tail to Sleekwhisker to back off. “Are you going to call a retreat  _ Russetfur _ ? Just like you did in the first battle.”

Russetstar stared at the tom in front of her, anger blazing in her eyes, her pelt bristling. Then she backed away from him, spitting. “Retreat!” she called to her warriors.

Sleekwhisker hissed a laugh, her eyes narrowing at her former leader. “You always gonna need ThunderClan to save you Russetfur?” she asked.

Russetstar turned and snarled at the tortoiseshell she-cat, her tail lashing, before Yarrowleaf stepped in between them. “Leave,” the ginger she-cat snapped, her ears flat.

Russetstar led the warriors who followed her to the battle out of the camp. Darktail watched through slitted eyes. “I’d advise you not to try this again, Russetstar,” he meowed, licking the blood off his paw.

Russetstar didn’t reply as she padded out of the entrance of camp. Bramblestar followed her out, along with all the others. The injured cats limped, some of them leaning on their Clanmates. Twigpaw eagerly looked for her sister. When she saw her, her heart lifted. “Violetpaw!” she called, bounding over to her sister. Violetpaw blinked at her sister and nuzzled her. “Are you okay?” She sniffed at her pelt. Her ear was nicked and she had a bad scratch over her shoulder. Sympathy rushed over Twigpaw. That was sure to scar.

“I’m fine,” Violetpaw sighed. “I only got into a few fights, nothing to worry about.”

“Why would you go with them?” Twigpaw asked. “You could have been killed.”

“I needed to help fight for my Clan,” Violetpaw meowed firmly. She puffed up her chest. “You wouldn’t understand.” Her tail flicking, she padded further ahead, standing next to Hawkwing.

_ Her Clan . . . Does that mean she’s going to return to ShadowClan once they leave ThunderClan camp? _ Twigpaw’s heart sunk. Even if Violetpaw and her didn’t join SkyClan, she thought they’d be able to live side by side after this whole mess. Why would she want to return to the cats who ruined her life?

Bramblestar’s voice was filled with outrage when they reached the ThunderClan border: “How  _ dare _ you plan this attack without my permission?’ he snapped at Russetstar, his pelt bristling. “You all could have been killed!”

“You are  _ not _ my leader!” Russetstar spat back, crouched down in front of the ThunderClan tom. “We needed to attack before the rogues’ wounds could heal. We waited too long. Now we’ll never get my camp back!” Her cry ended with a wail.

“You can’t fight the rogues with only a few warriors,” Bramblestar told her, no sympathy for the she-cat in his eyes. “Now _ more _ cats are injured, and we’re low on medicine. If Mudstar were here, this wouldn’t be a problem. Why didn’t you just tell Mudstar what he wanted to know when he showed up in our camp?”

Russetstar’s glare faltered. She glanced around at the injured warriors, and her shoulders slumped. “If I had just killed Darktail in the first battle, this never would have happened,” she murmured, her eyes narrow. She glanced at Pinenose and Ferretclaw. Her kits blinked at her. She sighed. “Okay,” she murmured, turning back to Bramblestar. “It’s time I told Mudstar what he wants to hear.”


	36. Chapter Thirty-Four

Alderheart paced in front of the medicine den, his pelt prickling as he waited for the cats to return from ShadowClan camp. Puddleshine stood beside him, staring at the entrance of camp. Their ears perked when the cats began to pour into camp, Russetstar and Bramblestar in the front, followed closely by their deputies and warriors.

Puddleshine leaped to his paws and ran over to begin sniffing at wounds. “They’re back!” Alderheart called to Mothwing, Willowshine, and Leafpool. The three medicine cats, who had medicine ready to care for any cat who needed it, rushed out of the den with Alderheart close behind. Puddleshine met Pinenose and Ferretclaw and sniffed at their wounds anxiously.

Pinenose assured her son she was fine, her eyes dull. However, Alderheart could see her deep wounds as he approached Puddleshine. Alderheart searched for Violetpaw and Sparkstorm. He saw his sister beside Lionblaze, both of whom were licking their wounds. Jayflight was berating Lionblaze, blind eyes narrow.

“Have you got bees in your brain?” the gray tabby asked, his ears flat. “You could have gotten hurt!”

Alderheart rushed up to his sister and glared at her. "First you go rushing off to find Twigpaw and send me into a frenzy, now you're throwing yourself into battles with  _ Russetstar _ ?" He sighed as his sister nuzzled him, unable to stay mad at her. "You’re not hurt too bad, are you?”

“No, no, don’t worry about me,” the ginger tabby sighed. “I’ve only got a few scratches on my back, but they’re not too deep, they just sting a little. You should see the other guy.” Her eyes sparkled and she blinked at her brother. “Focus on the cats who have it worse for now.”

Alderheart sighed in relief. He pressed his nose into her pelt and she leaned against him, licking his ear. They broke apart when Bramblestar called a Clan meeting. Nodding to Sparkstorm, Alderheart grabbed some marigold and cobwebs from Leafpool, along with oak leaves, and began treating the warriors. No one was too badly injured, luckily, it seemed as if the battle didn’t even last very long before Bramblestar intervened.

As the medicine cats treated the warriors, Bramblestar spoke: “Russetstar has issued an emergency Gathering tomorrow morning, at the Ancient Oak.” A few cats murmured to one another, sharing surprised glances. Alderheart caught Puddleshine sharing a glance with his mother, but Pinenose said nothing, staring at her mother. The calico tom sent a questioning glance to Alderheart, and the ginger tom shrugged. “In the morning,” Bramblestar went on, “I’ll be sending my deputy and a few other warriors to fetch Mudstar.”

“Who will be going?” Sparkstorm spoke up from beside Alderheart, settling down with her front legs tucked under her chest.

“I will only bring Squirrelflight and our medicine cats,” Bramblestar told his daughter, before flicking his head to Russetstar. “And Russetstar says she wants to bring Rowanclaw, Puddleshine, her kits, Pinenose and Ferretclaw, and Violetpaw as well.” A few cats murmured about Violetpaw going, but no cat questioned it.

Mistystar sniffed from where she sat beside Duskfur. “I suppose I’ll bring Duskfur, Mothwing, and Willowshine,” she meowed, before mumbling under her breath, “I don’t think I want to know what Russetstar is going to make a fuss about this time, though.”

“And I’ll bring Firefern, Fallowfern, and Blackfire,” Leafstar meowed.

Sparkstorm gave out a small, playful whine. “I wanted to go too,” she sighed, her tail flicking a bit.

Alderheart purred and nudged her. “You’ll be too wounded to go anyway,” he reminded her, placing a poultice on her wounds before covering them in cobwebs.

Sparkstorm smiled and winked at her brother. “You better tell me everything that happens.”

“Promise.” Sparkstorm relaxed as Alderheart finished treating her wounds. Alderheart could shake uneasiness from his pet. What was Russetstar going to say?

\-------

Alderheart yawned as he followed Bramblestar, Russetstar, Leafstar, and Mistystar through the woods, with their deputies close behind them. Near the medicine cats, Violetpaw strode with her tail low. She stood close to Puddleshine, who brushed his tail down her spine, and behind them were Pinenose and Ferretclaw who spoke in hushed tones to Blackfire and Fallowfern. Alderheart watched as Pinenose and Ferretclaw spoke in pawspeak to the deaf senior warrior. He’d only ever seen cats using that in ShadowClan, to Puddleshine’s brother and sister, Lioneye and Birchbark, but he knew that some ThunderClan cats knew it from a deaf warrior he hadn’t known named Snowheart.

Squirrelflight wasn’t there, having gone ahead early so she could fetch Mudstar. The medicine cats lagged behind, having had gotten little to no sleep the night before. Alderheart got a few naps in between his shifts of healing warriors, but then he was shaken awake by Puddleshine or Willowshine, saying it was time to get up again. He was glad to have a few extra paws, but it was still difficult.

Still, they finished before the moon set, and he and Puddleshine got to watch the sunrise together, walking down to the lake together to wash up before the moon disappeared. As much as he wished he could have slept, he was so glad to spend more time with his medicine cat friend. His stomach bubbled with warmth as he thought of Puddleshine.

When they reached the Ancient Oak, Mudstar, Squirrelflight, Sedgewhisker, Gorsetail, Brindlepaw, and Kestrelflight were there. Brindlepaw gave Alderheart a friendly blink as he sat beside her. Puddleshine sat close to Alderheart, leaning into his pelt, with Leafpool, Mothwing, and Willowshine huddled close by. It was an odd place to hold a Gathering. The leaders sat on the roots of the Ancient Oak like they’d sit on the branches of the Great Oak on the island, with their deputies beside them, while their medicine cats sat in a cluster nearby.

Mudstar was the first to speak. “So, what do you have to say to me?” he sniffed to Russetstar, amber eyes narrow.

Russetstar blinked at him slowly. “I have gathered you here today to tell you why I didn’t kill Darktail during the battle against the Kin,” she meowed, her voice shaking. Mudstar looked shocked as if he wasn’t expecting her to say that. “I have been keeping this secret for seasons. We all have.” She glanced at Pinenose and Ferretclaw. Alderheart tipped his head, confused. “I couldn’t kill Darktail . . . because he was my kit.”

Gasps of shock erupted from the cats around the oak. Alderheart’s jaw fell open and his ears perked. He shared a glance of Puddleshine. The ShadowClan medicine cat looked just as surprised. Violetpaw stared at Russetstar with narrow eyes, her paws shaking. She glanced up at Pinenose and then lowered her head, as if scared.  _ How can that be? _ Alderheart wondered.  _ Who was the sire? _ The only cats who weren’t surprised were Pinenose and Ferretclaw.

Bramblestar lifted his tail for silence. “Tell us what happened.”

Russetstar looked at Pinenose and Ferretclaw. The leader looked tired as if she never expected to share this information. Her kits nodded to encourage her to keep talking. “I’m sure you all remember Sol.”

“ _ He’s _ the father?” Squirrelflight asked, her eyes wide. " _ You _ had kits with  _ Sol _ ?"

“Of course not, I saw nothing in that tom. I was only the surrogate,” Russetstar went on. “He and Blackstar fell in love. I’m sure that was painfully obvious to every cat at the time. He’d follow that tom to the ends of the earth.” She sighed, shaking her head. Mudstar’s eyes narrowed and nodded slowly. Alderheart wondered if he already knew all this.

Bramblestar’s eyes widened. “Were Blackstar and Sol their fathers?”

Russetstar hung her head, eyes glassy. “They were.”

Yowls and hisses rose from the warriors. “Traitor!” Duskfur hissed. “That tom was nothing but a nuisance. He nearly destroyed ShadowClan!”

Squirrelflight snorted. “I can see the resemblance between him and Darktail, then.”

Russetstar rose to her paws, her eyes narrow. “Blackstar was a true warrior and an excellent leader!” she snapped, her claws sliding out. “He only fell in love. I’m sure many cats here are victims of the same crime.”

Duskfur’s ears raised then flattened, staring at her paws. A few other warriors shuffled their paws as well, Gorsetail licking her chest fur. Alderheart glanced at Puddleshine, then looked down at his paws, heat gathering in his ears. Russetstar nodded slowly then sat back down. “I never left the kits’ side, barely let any of my Clanmates see them. I was so worried they’d see the resemblance between them and Sol. Honestly, I don’t think I needed to. Starlingwing, their littermate, looked so much like me, I’m sure they all would have thought he was mine.” She took a deep breath. “Darktail’s name had been Shadekit. He was such a curious little kit. It seemed his marking changed a bit since he was a kitten, I almost didn’t recognize him when I saw him the first time. But it was hard to forget those piercing blue eyes.

“Only a moon after they were born, Sol had returned to ShadowClan in secret. He demanded that he took one of his kits. He promised the kit a good life. Being their father, it would be difficult to say no to him. Not wanting to fight, Blackstar gave him Darktail, and we passed it off that he ran away and died to a fox.” Her eyes became glassy and she lowered her head. “I’d been heartbroken when Blackstar gave him up,” she murmured, her voice shaking. “I became cold toward him. I loved those kits. I loved Darktail, as his mother.” She took a deep breath. Alderheart could see the deep pain in her green eyes, and his heart ached for the grieving mother. “I continued to nurse the kits and tried to never mention Shadekit again, but they never forgot him. So I decided to tell them what really happened. They were grieving so much, I couldn’t bear to see them in pain. They were sworn to secrecy.”

“Sol must have swayed Darktail into thinking that the Clans were evil and that Blackstar abandoned him,” Ferretclaw continued for his mother.

“It’s simple, stupid revenge,” Pinenose meowed. “But still . . . that cat isn’t right. I think he really wants to torture the cats who are like the ones who hurt him.”

Leafstar lowered her head. “We met Sol in the gorge,” she explained. “He seemed to want to become a warrior, his mother told him stories about us. He was an awful warrior, didn’t follow rules, wouldn’t listen to us to the point that he didn’t know how to do simple things like hunt. He became angry, saying we weren’t telling him everything we knew, saying he wanted to know all the secrets of the Clans and turned on us.” She shuddered. “My kits nearly died because of his stupidity. I had no idea he came here as well.” She blinked at Russetstar.”

“I always knew that Blackstar and Sol were too close for their own good,” Mudstar meowed, his eyes narrow. “Those two were joined at the hip when Sol joined ShadowClan.”

“Did you always know Darktail was their son?” Russetstar asked. She sounded as if she was scared for his answer, her paws shaking.

Mudstar sighed, glancing at Gorsetail. “I and a few of my senior warriors had a hunch,” he meowed, his whiskers twitching. “He looked like Blackstar with his black-and-white coat, and his fluffy pelt reminded us of Sol. Honestly, I’m surprised we were the only ones who noticed. I wanted you to tell me the truth but, honestly, I hoped this wasn't it." He lowered his head, licking his chest fur. "I'm going to be honest when I say I thought he could've been our kit. We were . . . Close on the journey to the lake."

Russetstar's eyes narrowed but there was a sparkle in them. "Sorry, I have no interest in toms." Mudstar blinked, then purred.

“I thought he looked familiar, too,” Squirrelflight spoke up, her tail twitching. “But I could never put my paw on it.” Alderheart glanced at his mother. She never told him that. Though, he supposed, he never met Sol. How should he know what he looked like?

“Oh, I should have never let Blackstar give him up!” Russetstar wailed, slumping over.

Pinenose padded up to her mother and pressed against her. “You had no choice,” she murmured, her eyes round.

Rowanclaw spoke for the first time, getting to his paws and unsheathing his claws. “You should have told us,” he meowed, his tone sharp. “How could you keep such a secret from us? Blackstar betrayed us!”

Russetstar stiffened as her deputy berated her. “Blackstar would have never wanted me to tell,” she meowed. She spoke softly as if she didn’t want the warriors to hear how much her voice was shaking.

“Blackstar is  _ dead _ !” Rowanclaw yowled.

Russetstar dug her claws into the tree root and stared at her paws, unable to reply. Rowanclaw snarled and whipped his tail.

“What’s done is done,” Squirrelflight told Rowanclaw, glaring at him. “The only question I have is, why didn’t you kill Darktail? This cat hurt so many of your warriors. Didn't you want to be rid of him?”

Russetstar sniffed and stared at the ThunderClan deputy with cold eyes. “Could  _ you _ ever kill one of your kits?”

Squirrelflight snapped her jaws shut, then glanced at Alderheart. Her eyes softened. “I understand. I’m sorry, Russetstar.”

“Every time I saw Darktail . . . I saw Blackstar, and the kit I raised, even if it was for a moon.” She dug her claws into the bark, then sighed. She raised her head and turned to the WindClan leader. “Well, Mudstar? I’ve given you the answer you wanted. Are you going to fight with us or not?”

Mudstar turned to his warriors. Gorsetail looked thoughtful while Kestrelflight and Brindlepaw still looked shocked by Russetstar’s story. Sedgewhisker stood. “Of course we’re going to fight!” she meowed, her voice firm. “Mudstar, I am  _ done _ with Darktail’s tyranny. You said you would fight along with Russetstar after she told you the truth. It’s time WindClan does something! If you don’t call for a battle, I will.”

Mudstar’s eyes narrowed, staring thoughtfully at his rebellious warrior, but he nodded firmly. “Very well,” he meowed. “I will fight beside you to get rid of Darktail.”


	37. Chapter Thirty-Five

Firefern stretched out in the Greenleaf sunshine and yawned, grooming her forepaw. This Greenleaf felt as if it went on for seasons, and now that they were nearly a moon in, Firefern knew it was going to go on much longer. And with the ThunderClan camp being so overcrowded, everything felt even more hot and stuffy. Firefern had heard that even more RiverClan warriors once lived here.  _ I don’t know how they survived, _ she thought, sniffing.

When the ginger fur of Squirrelflight caught her eye, Firefern got to her paws and approached the ThunderClan deputy. It was odd, asking another cat permission to go on patrols, but Firefern no longer had control over which warrior did what.  _ This isn’t my camp, and that isn’t my place. I should be grateful ThunderClan took us in. _ She thought of Russetstar attacking the Kin, as Darktail was calling his group, a few nights before and her fur prickled with agitation.  _ Those ShadowClan cats don’t seem to have any sense of gratitude. They act like a bunch of rogues, throwing themselves into useless battles like that. _

“Squirrelflight,” Firefern called, dipping her head when green eyes turned on her. “I was wondering if I could go on a hunting patrol. The fresh-kill pile looks to be a little low.” That wasn’t a lie, there were only a few more pieces of prey left, but, in all honesty, Firefern just wanted to get some fresh air.

Squirrelflight gave a thoughtful twitch of her whiskers before she nodded. “Sure,” she meowed. “Go ahead and take Bellaleaf with you. You two are a good couple of hunters.”

Firefern blinked at the deputy, a bit embarrassed, and left to search for Bellaleaf. She scanned the camp, and her ears perked when she saw Twinepaw’s ginger-and-white pelt. He was practicing battle moves with Blackfire, Nightpaw, Minnowtail, Twigpaw, and Ivypool. Twigpaw was on her own, she and her mentor trying to figure out battle moves that would be better with her broken leg. Firefern smiled at Twinepaw, who was nodding as Blackfire gave him tips on his moves. The apprentice caught Firefern’s eye and his ears perked, blinking at the deputy. Firefern blinked back and waved her tail to her before continuing.

The familiar dark ginger pelt of the ThunderClan cat, Alderheart, caught her attention. Alderheart seemed interested in SkyClan life, not afraid to ask Leafstar and the older warriors about what the gorge was like. Firefern smiled. She approached the medicine cat, wrapping her tail around her paws while she watched him treat Lionblaze. “Good afternoon,” she meowed, blinking at the two cats. She had heard that Lionblaze was Sparkstorm’s cousin, grandson to Firestar as well. She had been saddened to hear that the great leader of ThunderClan had died, but no cat was quite shocked. He was older than Leafstar, after all. “Alderheart, do you need any prey?”

Alderheart shook his head, focusing on placing cobwebs on Lionblaze’s wounds. “Puddleshine already brought me a squirrel, but thank you.” Firefern nodded slowly. She’d seen how close he and the ShadowClan medicine cat were; she didn’t know much about how medicine cats of other Clans worked, but she knew that they weren’t allowed to take mates. Were Puddleshine and Alderheart allowed to be together?  _ Maybe it’s okay if they’re both medicine cats, _ she pondered. Once he was finished with the cobwebs, he got to his paws. “You’re good to go, Lion,” he meowed. “Be careful, though, that wound could open back up.”

Lionblaze stood, towering over the two other cats. “You’re a lifesaver,” he sighed, rolling his shoulders. “Thanks, Alder, I’ll be careful.” Then he padded over to the warriors’ den and squeezed in, his tail disappearing last.

Firefern shuffled her paws. “How are the injured cats?” she asked, trying to catch Alderheart’s amber eyes.

“They should be healed soon,” Alderheart meowed, padding to the back of the den and washing green pulp off his paws. “Bramblestar says we will battle with the Kin in a few days, but he and the other leaders haven’t worked out the details yet. Of course, you know about that,” he went on, licking his fur as if he was embarrassed that he had forgotten Firefern was the SkyClan deputy and had been to the meetings.

Firefern purred and nodded. Still, she stared at her paws, anxiety churning in her chest. “I’m worried about the battle,” she confessed. “I remember fighting Darktail in the gorge . . .”  _ So many cats were lost . . . Frecklewish, Sharpclaw, Patchfoot, Bouncefire, and even mother lost a life . . . _ Her heart ached at the thought of her old Clanmates.

Alderheart gave her a slow blink, his eyes round. “I understand,” he meowed. “There’s nothing to worry about now: all five Clans are together now, with Mudstar finally on our side again. Everything will be okay.”

Alderheart’s words didn’t lift her spirits, but she smiled and nodded. “You’re right. Thank you, Alderheart.” She got to her paws. “Well, I’m on a hunting patrol. Have you seen Bellaleaf? I’m supposed to go out with her.”

There seemed to be a gleam in Alderheart’s eyes, but it was snuffed and he flicked his tail. “I last saw her near the nursery,” he meowed.

Firefern slipped away from the medicine den and toward where Alderheart sent her. She caught a glimpse of her mate’s orange-and-white pelt, and a bit of anxiety sparked under her pelt. Things were . . . okay between her and Bellaleaf. The warrior acted like it, at least. She approached her mate, who was sitting beside Bloomwhisker and Mousewhisker, a ThunderClan queen. Mousewhisker was grooming his nearly-round belly, looking exhausted. Bellaleaf’s head lifted when she saw Firefern. “Hello!” she meowed, a purr in her voice.

Firefern nuzzled her, her scent making her heart warm. “Squirrelflight wants us on a hunting patrol,” she meowed. Bellaleaf shared a glance with Bloomwhisker, as if she was nervous about something, and worry sparked in Firefern’s pelt. “Are you okay? Do you not feel well?”

“No, no, I’m fine,” Bellaleaf meowed, heaving herself to her paws. “Come on, I want to be back before sunset.” They left camp together, a quick “Stay safe!” from Bloomwhisker before they disappeared through the thorn tunnel.

When they exited the camp, Firefern tasted the air. She wasn’t used to the territory here, it was somewhat like the forest near the gorge, but different. She didn’t know which way to go, and, most of the time, she’d have to head to the lake to know which way was ShadowClan and which way was WindClan, but she was figuring it out. She had to, this place could be her future home.

As they padded in the direction of the Ancient Oak, an uncomfortable silence settled over the mates. Firefern cleared her throat. “I always get lost around this area,” she meowed, glancing up at the sky. A thick canopy of trees covered the sun here, only breaking through the leaves and dappling their backs. Her eyes fell on Bellaleaf, and she softened. She looked lovely in this light. The way her orange fur lit up like a flame against her white markings was absolutely beautiful. She’s _absolutely beautiful._

Bellaleaf purred. “Yeah, all the trees look the same,” she sighed, glancing around as well. Her bright eyes sparkled, and Firefern’s heart jumped. Their eyes met, then Bellaleaf looked down and kept walking. “It’d be a good idea to get the forest better,” she went on. “After all, our kits might live here someday.”

Firefern faltered. “You still want kits, don’t you?” Bellaleaf asked, her eyes rounding with worry.

“Yes!” Firefern meowed quickly, making Bellaleaf laugh. “Do  _ you _ still want kits?”

“I do . . .” Bellaleaf sighed and her tail whisked. “Listen, I know we had our fights, and we . . . went through a bit of grief—” her eyes glassed over, but then she took a deep breath to collect herself, “—and I’m still angry at you for hiding that wound on her paw.” She glanced down at the wound on Firefern’s paws, which was almost healed.

Firefern’s ears dropped and she looked down. “You knew about that?” she asked.

Bellaleaf sniffed. “I saw Twigpaw treating it.”

“Sorry . . . I just didn’t want you to worry. Honeytail needed the medicine more, and we  _ needed _ to find the lake.”

“I understand.” Bellaleaf’s whiskers twitched. “But I wouldn’t have held you back, Firefern. If you had just told us earlier, we wouldn’t have made you stop.” Firefern shuffled her paws. “I forgive you.” Bellaleaf’s eyes softened and she began to purr. “It’s good that you still want kits and I’m glad we got to the lake when we did.” Firefern tilted her head in confusion. “Firefern, I’m pregnant.”

Shock flashed through Firefern and she stared at her mate. Then, she padded right into a tree, pain shooting through her muzzle. Firefern stumbled back and fell onto her haunches, putting a paw to her nose. Bellaleaf rushed up to her, stifling a laugh as she pressed against Firefern. “Are you okay?” she giggled, nuzzling her.

“Are you really pregnant?” Firefern asked, ignoring her mate’s question.

“Why would I lie about such a thing? Yes, I am. I spoke to Leafpool about it a few days ago, and didn’t know how to tell you.”

Emotion swelled up inside Firefern and her eyes became glassy. Her heart warmed as joy overwhelmed her. “Are you okay?” Bellaleaf murmured, settling down beside her.

“Yes,” Firefern breathed, her voice crackling. “Yes, I’m . . . really happy.”

Bellaleaf purred, pressing her nose to Firefern’s. “I am too.”


End file.
